The Mighty Manhattan - Book One - Baby Steps
by Artie Gallezi
Summary: Dominick considered himself an average human for most of his life. Perhaps a tad more intelligent than his peers, but still within the norm. When he meets a girl on the side of the road, she takes him into a world he thought only possible in fairy tales. A world that existed just under vibrant nightlife of the Big Apple. Takes place ten years before the Great Revelation. AU / OC
1. Prologue

Frank Sinatra once said, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. In my experience, no human has spoken more honestly since then.

My kingdom has been known by many names over the decades.

The Empire City.

The City That Never Sleeps.

The City of Cities.

The Big Apple.

But to me, from the day of my birth to my second and final death, it shall simply be known as New York City.

While my kingdom consisted of the entire state of New York, it was the city that held my attention. It was not on Long Island, where I was born. Nor was it in the state's capital of Albany, where most monarchs would establish their grand palaces and headquarters. But it was New York City where I made my fortune, brought the entire criminal underworld under my heel, and died, though not entirely in that order. If asked about my actions and decisions, my underlings and subjects would use names of rulers past. They would claim, and with true comprehension of their words, I had the military mind that rivaled that of Sun Tzu and Alexander the Great.

I can see how this may confusing. So will begin my tale from my humble beginning, my death. While this may sound like I have made an error, I assure you it truly is where my rise to power began.

My rise as the King Of New York began ten years before the Great Revelation.

I was twenty one years old when I met my maker, and no I do not mean God.

* * *

_**A/N**_ - _An apology to my Hannibal followers, what little I have, but I have discontinued that story. I made the mistake of not planning out my story like I have with my previous ones and had written myself into corner. It was the classic mistake of thinking and writing a cool scene (The Werematch) with thinking of much else. Though I have learned from that mistake and have planned out poor little Dominick's story_


	2. She's A Maneater

Since I graduated from high School, like the countless unfortunate youths around the world, I worked to help support my family. While my test scores, both school and government exams, were exemplary, they were not deemed exemplary enough to merit the reward of higher education. Namely colleges and universities required monetary compensation in addition to proof of my intelligence to be permitted in their marble halls. So while my peers attended everything from the most prestigious educational establishments to community colleges, often drinking and squandering the opportunities that fate and their upper class guardians had provided, I scrambled and struggled to find employment so I could aid my father in providing for my sick mother and younger brother.

While I loved my father, Jorge Valentino, he continued to vex and aggravate me. He did not beat me as a child, unless I was particularly insolent, nor did he do the same with my brother and mother. What irritated me was his dependence on alcohol. He was not, what I would have referred to as, an all out drunk, but he was a functioning one. He rose every morning, no matter how weary or hungover from the previous day's events, and arrived on time to his job. Because my father had been working with automobiles all his life, he often boasted how at he owned his own repair shop at age fourteen in his home country of Uruguay, he had no trouble both finding and holding onto employment. But his mechanic's salary, no matter where he found employment, would not support a family of four. So while he paid the rent and utilities on our modest home, I would cover the rest of financial needs. I paid a trifling amount, trifling to me now but at the time was not, each month to keep our television from showing nothing but static as well as our cellphones and the two cars my father and I used. What little money that I did not spend went to the small luxuries. For me, it was the occasional glass of high class whiskey. This is where my father vexed most deeply. A single bottle would last me just over two months. Since I had seen what alcohol could do, both to my father and what the educational system had informed, if consumed too often. But my father would dispose of it in half that time and several bottles of beer along with it. At first I took to hiding the expensive amber liquid, but after several failed attempts I stopped purchasing the luxury altogether.

One might ask where my mother, Marilyn Valentino, was in all this. After all, it was the expected norm in America for both parent to work and provide for their children. It was not here choice, but her body's. While my mother had barely caught the common cold as a child, she paid dearly for that in adulthood. She had developed an irregular heartbeat and a pacemaker was installed to remedy that. Combined with the fact she had developed diabetes during my brother's pregnancy, high blood pressure, and was taking nearly twenty different medications daily, it was a medical miracle she did recover at all. I often found it strange that my mother had to take steps to make sure her body did not fail her, injecting insulin and going to the local hospital for weekly blood tests, while my father constantly battered his with cigarettes, alcohol, and hard labor and looked to be in the best shape since he was my age.

My brother, Sergio Valentino, was simply too young to enter the world of low pay and hard work that my father and I had come to accept as our lot in life. While I never made an effort to learn the truth, I believed he had a slight mental defect. I learned, years later from my father, that his pregnancy was incredibly high risk. So much so, that the doctors were actually considering aborting after five months. I thought perhaps he suffered from attention deficit disorder, but my parent refused to even accept the possibility. No doubt they did not wish to pay for an an examination that would result in something they could little next to nothing about. In the end, it could simply be we were polar opposites. In everything I excelled at, he did not. The same was also true for me. While my mind was sharper he was much more physically adept. In layman's terms, I was the quiet contemplative nerd while he was loud negligent jock. But he was my brother and I cared for him, when he did not aggravate me beyond reason.

I was driving down the long island expressway at three in morning as I returned from a long hard night of pouring various kinds of hangover inducing mixtures that would knock even the most seasoned drinker, like my father, onto their rear ends. One might find it strange that with my father's problem with alcohol that I found work pouring the same liquid for others just like him, but I found it strangely enjoyable. Though my father thought I simply washed dishes in the kitchen, if by some unfortunate event he discovered my true job, it would only be a matter time before he asked to bring my work home with me. My friends, the few close one I had, took care of that for him, though they had the courtesy to ask nicely of me and invite me along to a gathering. So whether it was late into the dark night surrounded my drunk bar patrons or on a hot summer day near a friend's pool, you could always find me with a shaker in my hand and bartender's guide in my back pocket.

As I drove home along the empty highway I said into my hands free cellphone, little did I know it would not be a car accident that would spell my doom. "Look, Eric, I just got off an eighteen hour shift pouring booze for a bunch of people who's liver has to be a lump of asphalt at this point, I'm in no mood to keep that up for you guys. Especially since I'm not getting paid for it."

A voice came the car's speakers, my best friend, Eric. "You're the only one who knows what you're doing."

I rolled my eyes, "If you can't figure out what goes in a rum and coke then maybe should lay off the hooch."

"Christine's gonna be there dude." he responded calmly if a little smug.

Christine Willis, the love of my of life or so I thought. She was one of the few girls in our small group that wasn't already committed to a man or woman. She had maintained a relationship with Eric for a paltry sum of months, but they had remained close friends. I was not well versed in the complicated world of courting and wooing like I would be. In the coming years, I would be able to have any woman, or man, that caught my eye. And that would be without using of gifts I would soon be given. She was the cliched girl next door. Beautiful and practical, but not unapproachable. Confident, but not arrogant. I had a small infatuation for her or could be I was, like most would assume at that age, thinking with my lower half. I tried several attempts to win her heart, and by extension, and her loins. I took part in several school musicals she participated in, most of them god awful and tasteless, and learned to play both the guitar and piano to catch her eye. But she rejected at my advances with the misunderstanding I was simply jesting. Still despite all the rejection, I did not relent.

God, I was an idiot.

"I'll . . ." I said as I saw something up ahead on the side of the road. "I'll call you back."

As I drove, she came into view. At first I thought her car had broken down and she was simply waiting for assistance to arrive in the form of a tow truck and a rude trucker, but there was no car in sight. She was simply walking down the road like I would to a friend's home. I wonder to this day what might have occurred if I simply continued on way home, but my mother had raised to me to helpful to a damsel in distress. I would learn the hard way this was the farthest thing from a damsel.

I lowered the window on the passenger side and drove alongside her. "Need a lift?"

She stopped and looked at me, "Excuse me?"

"Its dangerous to be out alone this late." I said, I should have heeded my own words. "I'm heading to Westbury. I could drop you off somewhere if you want."

She gazed around as if to anticipate an ambush before she slid into the passenger seat. "Thank you."

I resumed driving once I saw she had donned her seat belt. Out of the corner of my eye, I got a better view of my passenger. She reminded me of an elegant piece of art with her beautiful emerald green eyes and her luxurious red hair that ended just above the small of her back. She was of middling height, perhaps a couple of inches taller than myself. Though I did not give it much thought at the moment, I would soon share the trait, she had very pale skin. She had a narrow build and her clothes seemed accentuate it in the most alluring way. She had worn a simple green blouse with the top buttons left unfasten so men, and some women, could admire and appreciate her cleavage. The blouse also did not cover her navel which was perfectly flat and free of any unsightly scars or blemishes. Her beautiful strong legs were covered by simple, yet alluring, black jeans that had leather cords lacing up the sides of each leg. On her small delicate feet, toe nails painted to match her bright red fingernails, were expensive looking stilettos that probably had cost more than the car I drove. Granted, I've heard people paying well more than five hundred dollars on a single pair of footwear, but I trust you understand my point.

"I'm Dominick." I smiled politely. "Dominick Valentino."

"I knew a Dominick once." she said plainly.

"Really?"

She gave a curt nod "Though his true name was actually Dominicus."

"That's the Latin root." I told her.

She turned to look at me with an expressionless stare. "You speak Latin?"

"I took a class for four years." I explained. "It means 'of the lord', if my translation is not too rusty."

"Yes. We did not part on good terms." She stared out into the distance. "It has many years since I last spoke with him."

"Well, its his loss." I chuckled at my boldness.

"His loss?"

I nodded. "I bet he staring up at the sky cursing his luck for letting someone like you get away."

"I could have been the unreasonable one for all you know." she said flatly. "I could be a, he called me countless times, a crazy bitch."

I dismissed her with a wave, "I doubt it."

"Why?"

"No girl who's smart and cute as you could ever be crazy." I smiled. "_Operor vos non reputo sic_?"

She gave me the barest hint of a smile, "_Forsitan vos es rectus_."

Though the rest of the drive was almost two hours, I found it short. We did not speak the language of the Romans for the entirety of drive, but we spoke freely. I gathered she was studying to be a historian, she spoke of historical events like she was there experience them first hand. She also shared my taste of music from the 1960's, telling me she grew to admire the voices of the Ratpack and the Beatles from a friend who played records every night as she read. From the sound of her voice, I concluded she was mildly impressed that I had taught myself to play the piano and the guitar. Although I did not say it was to catch the eye of Christine Willis, I would have to be the biggest dullard for that to leave my mouth. She also admitted a fondness for old silent era films, like Buster Keaton's The General and Charlie Chaplain's Goldrush. I had come to appreciate them as well when I took a film appreciation class as an elective in high school and I shared her enthusiasm. Perhaps enthusiasm was exaggerating a bit, as she spoke quietly and without much emotion. We continued conversing as I merged onto Jericho Turnpike heading east. Like the expressway I had just left, the road and streets were empty. I could see traffic lights for miles changing from green to yellow to red. There were several fast food restaurants every mile or so with their bright lights and colors to catch the eyes of hungry patrons. I passed several plazas with spacious empty parking lots, except for the cinema and the rare plaza that housed the occasional bar.

We fell back into a comfortable silence and it was only I paused in front of a red light did she speak, "Why dose that police officer not have his lights on?"

I had yet to acquire the excellent night vision that she possessed, so I squinted my eyes and made the vague silhouette of another car, "Oh, he's hiding."

"Hiding?"

"He's waiting to see if anyone runs the light or speeds so he can give them a ticket." I sneered.

"You sound as if you speak from experience."

"The day my license arrived in the mail, he gave me a ticket for failing to signal a turn early enough." The light became green and I mentally held my middle finger up as I turned. "There's not a single person around that he hasn't given a ticket."

"He thinks himself above others because he has been granted a title." she observed.

I nodded. "I guess you could say its plain case of he let the power go to his head."

"Power, no matter how little or large, tends to corrupt." she remarked. "It is rare the one who can wield tremendous power without allowing it to corrupt one's mind."

I was confused by her words. "You sound like someone who's seen it happen a lot."

Then she smiled, the first genuine smile I would come to know all too well, "Once or twice." She gazed past me. "Here is fine."

I entered the parking lot and pulled up next to the staircase that lead to the train platform. She exited the car and I watched as she looked up that platform and back at me. "Forget something?"

"I am having a party at my home." she told me.

"You don't say," I remarked, knowing what she planning or so I thought.

She gave a slight nod to confirm. "I have enjoyed our conversation and would like to continue it."

"You're making me blush." I teased.

Oh, the irony of it all.

I was rewarded for my jest with another ghost of a smile, "Can you be at this address at twenty-one hundred?" she retrieved a pen from her cleavage and wrote on my forearm.

It required a moment to comprehend she meant nine in the afternoon, approximately one hour after the sun had sunk below the horizon, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

She leaned in and lightly brushed her lip against mine, she did not allow the contact to linger, I assume she did not wish for me to notice on her lack of body heat. "I will be looking for you."

"You still haven't told me your name."

She raised an eyebrow, "Wilhelmina Wallace."

With that she turned and walked up the stairs just as the train arrived at the station and passengers. I drove the remaining three blocks to my home with a proud smile on my face and a song in my heart. I was so mirthful that I barely saw my home as I parked in the graveled filled driveway. Nor did I truly see my home's interior as I waked to my room. Of course I heard the faint hum of my air conditioner mixed with my rotating fan circulating the cold air, but all my mind was focused on was the party I had been invited to. And, since I was a healthy young man, the possibilities of what might occur with Wilhelmina. I removed my clothes and crawled into my small, but comfortable, bed and sleep overtook me.

I often find myself wondering, when I relive the events of the coming night, if anyone else had been so eager to die.

* * *

I awoke with a start at the old radio alarm clock sounded loudly in my ear. For the longest time, I enjoyed waking up to the sound of Elvis Duran Morning Show. I found, and continue to do so, them amusing as they spoke and joked about seemingly pointless topics such as the subtleties of relationships and sex, celebrity gossip, and the many goings on of the entertainment industry and current events. Granted, that would the final time I would ever listen to the program live, but it was only a smartphone and a two minute download away. I also enjoyed the variety of music they played and often joked and teased whenever a request was made, especially if the request was strange to them. I gazed at my white ceiling as I listened to a particular song that I had not heard since I was fourteen.

_One day I woke up_

_I woke up knowing_

_Today is the day I will die_

_Cash Dogg was barking_

_Went to the park_

_And enjoyed it one last time_

_I called my mother_

_Told her I loved her_

_And I begged her not to cry_

_I wrote a letter_

_I said I'd miss her_

_And I signed that good bye_

_You know the happiest day of my life_

_I swear the happiest day of my life_

_Is the day that I die_

_Can you feel the cold tonight? (the day that I died)_

_It sets in, but it's alright (the day that I died)_

_Darkness falls, I'm letting go (the day that I died)_

_All alone, but I feel fine (the day that I died) _

If there is a God overseeing the events of the world and the creatures that roam it, he has sickest sense of humor I've known, even among my kind

"That was Good Charlotte with The Day That I Die." said Elvis as the mocking song faded. "I understand everyone likes different kinds of music, but what the hell?"

"It sounds like something you'd listen if trying to off yourself." observed Danielle, one of the co stars.

"As long they don't back up traffic by jumping off a bridge." said Greg T, another co star. "I say go for it. We had a guy just last week back up traffic on the Washington for two hours as they tried to talk him down."

"Two hours?" asked Elvis.

"Yeah, and I wanted to scream JUST JUMP ALREADY!"

"There you have it folks, if you've had enough try the Verrazano so Greg T doesn't have wait two hours to get home."

"A little courtesy is all I ask." said Greg T.

"All this talk of bridges and delays makes me wonder about how the traffic is doing." Elvis asked cheerfully. "What's the traffic report, Julie Moore?"

You can see why I continue to enjoy the radio in this day and age.

I turned off the radio and walked to an old wooden dresser that held my clothes. I acquired fresh clothes and walked to the bathroom. From there it was a series of routines. I enjoyed a hot a shower as I gratified myself, though Wilhelmina was more promptly featured in my fantasies, as I always did. I brushed my teeth and flossed, as I always did. And then I shaved my face, as always did every other day or so. I suppose I should count myself fortunate I did not keep any kind of facial hair as they tend to go through trends, for after that night I would never have to again. I quickly dried and groomed my hair in a presentable manner that pleased me and sank into a chair in the kitchen.

The kitchen was relatively small, but it was sufficient for its purpose. My father was sipping his coffee as he read the morning paper. It would be something I would begin to mimic with the exception of the morning and coffee. Shame, I loved the taste of fresh brewed Brazilian coffee. My brother was quietly, which surprised mildly since he was usually so animated in the mornings, eating a bowl of cereal. I poured the last coffee I would ever drink as my mother placed the last breakfast I would ever eat. It was a typical Chilean , my mother had been born and raised in Chile, breakfast. In addition to the mug of coffee I always had in the mornings, she placed a small glass juice and toasted bread. She then accompanied them with marmalade, butter, avocado, and tomato. If I still felt unsatisfied, I would consume several fresh peaches from the tree that my mother had nursed back to health from the brink of death. If there is one thing I yearn to taste again, if only once more, it would be those peaches, perfectly ripe and slightly warm from basking in the morning sun.

My father soon left for work and my brother to play with his friends. Since my mother was physically unable to maintain employment she did what all when did in times past, cleaned and otherwise maintained the household. I assisted where she would allow since she was far too full of pride to admit, to herself or even her son, that she required rest. She soon informed that she was not feeling well, as if I had any other indication to the contrary, and retired to the room she shared with my father for a small nap. I used the opportunity to prepare a small token to Wilhelmina's party. I opened the refrigerator and removed the watermelon. I reasoned, for humans at any rate, the refreshing taste of cool fresh fruit would be perfect. I had taken several culinary lessons while during my tenure in school and dreamed of becoming a famous chef that cooked for the privileged few that would spend enough money to purchase a house on a single plate of food. What I did to the large fruit was one of the many things I had first learned and had a talent for.

I think this was the equivalent of treating one's murderer to five star meal for ending your life.

I began by slicing two large quarter with a thick piece in the middle left untouched so it resembled the handle to a basket. Then I carve a sawtooth border around the rim of the fruit using a sawing motion, taking care to get the points even and perfect. I then hollowed out the rest, setting aside what I removed, until I was left with a large bowl. I finished by adding various kinds of other fruits. Before long I had an appetizing fruit salad consisting of different kinds of grapes, berries, other melons, the watermelon itself, and slices of my mother's peaches, several of which I consumed as I worked. I've come to understand people tend to eat with their eyes, heaven knows I do to an extent, but I continue to find it fascinating the amount of effort one will go to make something as simple as food into a masterpiece, often rivaling several paintings that would fetch a heft sum in any gallery around my city, only to have it appreciated for the briefest of moment before it was destroyed and devoured.

I placed the brightly colored edible fruit basket carefully in the refrigerator until I would retrieve it later. I had grown hungry during the process and enjoyed a large milanesa sandwich for my final lunch. A milanesa consists of a thin slice of beef, chicken, veal, or sometimes pork, and even eggplants or soy. Each slice is dipped into beaten eggs, seasoned with salt, and other condiments according to the cook's taste like parsley and garlic. Each slice is then dipped in bread crumbs and shallow-fried in oil, one at a time. My mother had prepared enough the previous night that provide the perfect amount to eat between two large piece of bread with cheese, lettuce, and tomato. I followed the main course with two more of my mother's peaches and a large glass of cola.

I passed the rest of the day without much excitement. I watched television for some time before I returned to my room and read a piece from my collection of vintage graphic novels. I then turned my attention to an ancient laptop that I had rescued from a neighbor's trashcan and repaired as best I could. I quickly checked to see if I had received any important messages and passed the next few hours watching homemade videos others had posted on the internet that caught my eye. My father soon returned from work and my brother did as well shortly afterward. While I was secluded in my room, my mother had roused herself from bed and had prepared dinner. I was surprised to find she had prepared something I had not eaten since I was a small child, humitas. While there are variations depending on the country where one would consume the dish, I prefered the Chilean variant. Humitas in Chile are prepared with fresh corn, onion, basil, and butter with no meat of any kind. This did not sit well with my father, but he ate without complaint. They are then wrapped in corn husks and baked or boiled. They can be made savory, sweet, or sweet and sour, served with added sugar, chile pepper, salt, tomato, olive and paprika.

As we ate I informed my family my plans for the evening, not knowing that Wilhelmina had other plans for me. My mother and father asked the typical questions regarding the location, the duration of my stay, and the other attending. I answered truthfully and respectfully and was given permission, though that was merely a formallty since I was an adult in the eyes of the law and completely capable of making my own decisions. I retrieved the fruit basket and I kissed my mother as I hugged my father and my brother for last and final time.

I had just set the basket down in the passenger seat when I heard gentle footsteps approaching me from behind. I turned and found myself face to face with Christine Willis. She had always had the strangest way of reminding my of a playful dolphin. She possessed wide blue eyes that were like two lagoons and her luxurious, wavy, chestnut hair reminded me of a comet's trail. Years of ballet and several hours spent strengthening her body in self defense classes had rewarded her with an amazonian build and a healthy tan that was two shades darker than my own. I assumed she had returned from a day at beach with a tight bikini top, which barely covered those perfect breasts I had spent hour visualizing bare, and a towel wrapped around her perfect waist.

She smiled warmly, "Going somewhere?"

I returned the smile, "I met a girl and she invited me to a party she's throwing."

I did not have much of a social life, or a life for that matter in a few short hours, so she seemed genuinely surprised. "Really? Where?"

"The city."

"Hoping for a little something?" she winked.

I laughed warmly, "More than hoping."

She pretend to pout, an act I that set my loins ablaze whenever she did, "And I thought I would finally have my way with you."

"What happened to dinner and a movie?"

"That's a date." she smiled seductively. "I just want a boy toy for a night or two."

"I know the feeling."

We laughed like merry idiots without a care in the world before she kissed my cheek, the last while we both lived. "Just make sure she knows your mine."

I raised an eyebrow. "Yours?"

She nodded proudly, "Until I get bored of you."

She turned and I watched her walk back to her home a couple houses down from mine. I drove my car to the train station where I left Wilhelmina early that morning while the sun had yet to rise. I purchased a ticket for the next train to Penn Station and arrived in my future kingdom just as the sun began to set below the horizon. I signaled a taxi and gave him the address that Wilhelmina had given me. Soon I was on my way to my death and watched the countless inhabitants of the greatest city in the world. Vendors hawked their wares to tourists and locals alike. Car horns and obscenities in a mixture of languages filled the air and mixed with the scent of food, smog, and fruit. As was the standard for a Saturday night, traffic was heavy and congested. I managed to arrive at old looking apartment building only a few minutes late was buzzed in once I rang the doorbell. I rode the elevator to the twelft floor and stood in front of apartment 221B.

I raised my hand to knock when the door seemed to open on its own accord. In the doorway stood a pale man. The way he smiled at me brought the image of a prowling jackal. He had slitted eyes the color of dark chocolate. His fine, straight, black hair was short enough to resemble porcupine's quills. He was average height and was neither plump nor bony. He wore a white collared shirt with the sleeved rolled up to his elbows, as if he expected to something that might stain the white material, tucked into a pair of black trouser and matching loafers.

"Top of the morning to ya." he greeted with an Irish accent.

"Its nine at night." I informed him.

"Really?" He grinned. "Then top of the evening then."

Typical Doyle, always the joker.

"Does Wilhelmina live here?" I asked.

"Oh so yer the jammy bloke that ol' Willy's told us so much about." His eyes went up and down my body. "The name's Doyle."

I held out my hand, a habit I would soon lose, "Dominick."

Doyle quickly stood aside and motioned for me to enter. "Please come in, Dominick."

I entered was assaulted by the sound of soft music and conversation. The living room alone was larger than the entire floor of my home. The walls were plain white with copies of famous paintings, like the Mona Lisa and the Sistine Chapel, decorating them. There were several expensive leather couches and seat scattered about, some occupied while other sat their patiently. I saw that this party seemed relatively small to be called that. There couldn't have been more than fifteen people and I would learn that a four of them lived here, soon it would be five. Doyle lead me to the kitchen where a man was mixing drinks for the guests. He shared the same pale white skin that Doyle and Wilhelmina had. He had wide brown eyes that were like two patches of dried blood. His silky, wavy, ebony hair was short cropped and neatly combed in an old fashion under a cabbie's hat. Like Doyle, he had the sleeves of his grey shirt rolled up. As he was standing behind the kitchen counter, I could not see what clothes he wore below the waist.

He poured liquid into a glass and noticed Doyle. "Doyle, stop taking the piss and help me."

"Oh sod off, Adrian." Doyle sneered, "I told ya we should have just gotten some brew and left it at that."

Adrian stared daggers, "An Irishman is satisfied with only beer? Why am I not surprised?"

Doyle returned the stare, "Careful with yer words and I might not serve ya right."

"Ya couldn't serve your mother tea and biscuits!"

I suddenly felt a presence behind Doyle and I, "Boys, we have guests."

I turned to see a pair of pale breasts directly in front me. I turned my gaze upward and saw her, noticing she wore a simple yet elegant black dress. This woman was beyond tall, just over seven feet, and had the same narrow build that Wilhelmina possessed. Her skin was same shade of bright white pale that both Doyle and Adrian shared. Her face was proud and majestic, like the many sculptures that could be found in museums, with nearly-nonexistent eyebrows. Her wide black eyes that were like two pieces of obsidian glass made me catch my breath, despite the death stare she was giving the bickering Irishman and Englishman. Her luxurious straight midnight black hair hung freely and tumbled to the small of her back, similar to Wilhelmina.

"I'm Regina." She looked down at me and smiled warmly, "You must be the young man that Wilhelmina mentioned. "

I ignorantly held out my hand again, "I'm Dominick."

"She failed to mentioned how much of a gentleman you were." Regina took the fruit basket. "You didn't have to bring anything."

"Seemed like the polite thing to do." I said.

"You must have conservative parents." remarked a familiar voice.

I turned back the counter and there stood Wilhelmina, wearing a white crop top with the same jeans I had first met her. She had the barest hint of a smile before she looked to Adrian, but asked me, "What kind of a drink would you like?"

"Any chance you can make a mojito?" I asked politely

Adrian looked at me quizzically, "I haven't heard of that particular drink."

I held out a hand for the shaker and muddler. "May I?"

Adrian stood aside. "Be my guest."

Luckily for me, Adrian had nearly every tool and ingredient that one would find in any well stocked bar. I muddled together mint leaves and pure sugar before filling a glass with crushed ice and adding the mixture. I added a hefty amount of rum, tequila, and freshly squeezed lime juice. I swiveled the glass in my right hand as I added a splash of club soda and lime soda. Finally, so I could impress Wilhelmina, I garnished the glass with a mint spring and a thin slice of fresh lime.

I held up the glass to examine the final drink I would ever have. "A CEM Mojito."

Doyle stared at the glass, "CEM?"

"Cuban English Mexican." I explained. "There's a lot of variations and I combined three of them."

"Impressive." admitted Adrian. "You must have been doing this for quite some time."

I shrugged my shoulders, still coy and without confidence. "A couple of years." I set down the glass. "I can make another if you wanna try it."

"Sorry, mate." Adrian held up his hand, "Fifty years of sobriety and counting."

"Fifty?"

"Did I say fifty? I meant fifteen." He gave me an apologetic smile and looked to Doyle. "You?"

Doyle was not amused, which was rare. "Sorry, apparently this Irishman only drinks beer."

"I'm fine." said Regina, knowing I would ask.

"As am I." Wilhelmina motioned for me to drink. "Please, follow me."

Regina excused herself and went to speak with a coy looking girl with glasses and blonde hair like bleach wheat. Doyle left to, as he said, to chat a little bird he had his eye on. Adrian returned to mixing drinks, trying to duplicate my invention as others looked eager to taste, for the other guest. Wilhelmina lead me to the middle of the room as I sipped my mojito to a baby grand piano that I failed to notice when Doyle had first allowed me inside. There was a red leather bench in front the instrument for the player to sit.

Wilhelmina motioned for me to sit, "Please."

I placed my mojito on the edge with a napkin so the condensation would not leave a ring on the delicate wood. I sat and looked up at her. "Any requests?"

She considered it for a moment. "Are you familiar with Beethoven's fifth symphony?"

I was confused by her request, not that did not know the song, but because it seemed old and depressing for such a lively gathering. "Are you sure? Wouldn't you want some a little more playful?"

"Fur Elise?" she suggested.

That should have given me suspicions since she looked to be no older than myself and only middle aged couples tended to listen to classical music, but I ignored it and it would cost me, "I was thinking something from this century." I thought for a moment. "I got it."

"Yes?"

I smiled and began to play a gentle melody. My fingers danced across the keys with practiced ease as did my feet with the pedals below. It was a modern version of a classic that had been modified for a Broadway production. The rest of the guests paused in their conversations to listen. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that the rest of Wilhelmina's friends seemed to be mildly amused as I added my voice to the sound of instrument, serenading Wilhelmina with smouldering eyes and smiles.

_The night is young, the skies are clear_

_So if you want to go walking, dear,_

_It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely._

_I understand the reason why_

_You're sentimental, 'cause so am I,_

_It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely._

_You can tell at a glance_

_What a swell night this is for romance,_

_You can hear dear Mother Nature_

_Murmuring low,_

_"Let yourself go!"_

My pace quickened slightly as the melody grew more sensual and teasing. Everyone watched and listened without comment, though I only saw Wilhelmina's pleasantly amused smiling face.

_So please be sweet, my chickadee,_

_And when I kiss you, just say to me,_

_"It's delightful, it's delicious,_

_It's delectable, it's delirious,_

_It's dilemma, it's delimit, it's deluxe,_

_It's de-lovely". _

I spent the rest of the night as the unplanned entertainment. At Wilhelmina request I continued demonstrating my musical ability. I did play some of Mozart's more uplifting creations as well as those of Chopin and Beethoven, but it was songs from the early days of rock and roll that most seemed to enjoy. Regina particularly enjoyed my rendition of Jerry Lee Louis's Great Balls Of Fire as well as Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On. Wilhelmina spoke very little, as was her habit, but smiled as I serenaded her and made slight advances on her beauty. I thought that perhaps she had no interest in me and only had invited me as a reward for saving her the long walk to the train station, but when guests began to leave, Wilhelmina asked me to stay along with a handful of others. I noticed that Doyle had an arm around a young brunette who was smiling mischievously and had a hand on his chest while Adrian was occupied with his own adventure with a shy looking girl that he lead down the hall, presumably to his bedroom. Only Regina seemed out of the ordinary, if only slightly, as was smiling triumphantly at the blonde she had been conversing with most of the night. All of this I would only put together later when I had time to collect my thoughts.

Wilhelmina lead me to the first room as I saw Doyle, Adrian, and Regina lead the others into the remaining rooms down the small corridor. I stepped and examined the room. There was an elegant queen size canopy bed with velvet red silk sheets that I knew some would attest to sleeping upon a cloud. On either side of the bed were two finely crafted wooden nightstands that shined as if freshly waxed, each with an alarm clock radio and vintage looking lamps. On the walls were mounted weapons which I found curious. I saw, what I would later learn was known as a claymore, a two handed sword that possessed a wheel pommel capped by a crescent-shaped nut and a guard with straight forward-sloping arms and langets running down the center of the blade from the guard itself. On the opposite wall hung a medieval war hammer that merely looked like a large carpenter's hammer with curved spike for impaling.

These weapons fascinated me so greatly, I did not hear Wilhelmina close the door behind me and lock it. I ripped from my examination of the rest of her room when Wilhelmina grabbed me by my shirt, nearly ripping the cheap fabric, and shoved my mouth against her it would have snapped the precious vertebrae in my neck had she applied more force. I recovered from the initial shock when I felt her tongue caress mine with a master's skill. I reciprocated as best I could as she pushed me toward the bed, with strength I did think possible from such small girl, while her nimble fingers undid the buttons of my shirt with hardly any effort at all. My lack of experience became apparent she directed my hands from her waist to her firm yet supple buttocks. I began to rub and massage, my fingers squeezing like I was kneading bread, when she ripped the shirt from my body and shoved me hard onto the softest bed I had ever felt. She pounced on me like a wild tiger and we continued just as quickly as we had parted, passionately moaning as our tongues danced like two long parted lovers. I slipped my hand under her crop and she paused long enough for me to remove it and reveal the most perfectly visually intoxicating breast that I had ever seen. I sat up briefly to buried my face between her bounty, kissing sweetly with passion, and suckled like an infant before she pushed my back down. She began kissing and lightly biting my neck and continued down my chest and paused only to unbuckled my belt and pants. She slipped them off and did not pause to do the same with my boxers.

She felt cold as she lightly brushed my loins and laid her bare chest against mine and our tongues resumed their lusty dance. We both began to moan with passion as I slipped my hands between our bodies and undid the button to her jeans. She wiggled out of them not pausing in the slightest as she began kissing and sucking my neck. Our loins touched and we both gasped at the sudden contact. Wilhelmina took the initiative and I stared with lust in her beautiful eyes as she guided me with her a cool hand and I entered her. We both gasped and paused, enjoying the slight release of tension. Then she began to move her beautiful hips, slowly to make the experience last and more meaningful. She leaned forward, her nails digging into my chest, as she began to lose herself in the moment and I mixed my own moans of ecstasy with hers. I began to rub and massage her rear end again when she took my hands and placed them on her bouncing bosom, not only maintaining her hips in constant motion but began to quicken her pace in both speed and force. I rubbed and played with her generous bounty as she increased her pace with so much speed and force, the little part of my mind still capable of thought was certain she would snap my spine like dry leaves in autumn. It was too much for either of us and we reached that golden moment together, devoid of everything but pure bliss, throwing our heads back in ecstasy and the words of our native tongues on our lips, Spanish for myself while Wilhelmina cried in what I could best describe in that moment as an ancient form of french.

As I floated upon the cloud of pure undiluted bliss, Wilhelmina collapsed on top of me and I felt the slightest pinch on my neck. I remembered thinking that, as much as I was capable of coherent thought, this girl was insatiable. She had just climaxed, quite strongly as well as I could gather, and she was rearing for more as she kissed and chewed my neck, moaning and making slight suckling noises that I found cute. I came back from knocking on heaven's door and noticed my neck was beginning to ache, bordering on unpleasant.

"Wilhelmina?" I whispered sweetly.

She did not pause, but acknowledged me, "Hmm?

"Wanna try the left side?" I asked.

Without giving me a verbal answer she drifted down and across my throat, continued to kiss and lightly biting the soft flesh of my neck. She was occupied sucking the base of my neck when I felt something creeping along where she had been just moments before. I reached and my hand felt wet with a warm thick liquid. I brought my hand before my face and saw it was stained a dark crimson, I brought a finger to my lips and carefully tasted the strange liquid.

It was blood.

My blood.

I was about to ask Wilhelmina when I heard the _crunch _echo below my left ear, a sound that would soon be sweet music to me, and an incredibly painful piercing sensation at the base of my neck. I did not scream so much as yelp at the pain and felt a trickle of liquid run down neck and stain the expensive silk sheets we laid upon. Out of the corner of my eye, Wilhelmina removed her lips from my neck. My blood stained her mouth and lower chin. Running down from the corners of her mouth were delicate little streaks that she failed to consume and dripped onto her naked chest.

She closed her eyes as she sat up, her tongue expertly swirled around her delicate lips. "Mmm . . . I had forgotten the taste of peaches." She smiled menacingly, revealing white bloodstained fangs protruding from the top of her mouth. "Thank you."

Swifter than I thought possible and she returned to my neck and I heard another sicking _crunch_. She clamped a hand over my mouth to muffle the howl of pain, her grip like iron, and I heard the suckling and moaning once again. My eyes darted around looking a weapon of some kind to stop this she monster from feeding upon me like I would my mother's peaches. The sword and hammer would have been perfect for my predicament, but they hung on the wall so far out of reach they might as well had not existed for the good they would be to me. I caught sight of the clock radio that sat innocently on the nightstand. It was not a weapon one wield in an epic, but it might give the opening to acquire one. And I had act soon as I had began to feel cold and light headed. It was then I realized this creature was not simply planning on feeding and allow me to return to my life.

I fumbled and struggled, a few simple inches feeling as if they were oceans away. My hand desperately clamped on the small device of plastic and wires like it was the holy grail. As I adjusted my weakening grip, one of my fingers brushed over a button and the radio began to play a song that, to this day, irritates me beyond comprehension.

_I wouldn't if I were you_

_I know what she can do_

_She's deadly man, and she could really rip your world apart_

_Mind over matter_

_The beauty is there but a beast is in the heart_

_Oh here she comes_

_Watch out boy she'll chew you up_

_Oh here she comes_

_She's a maneater_

I'm aware I've said this before, but it warrants repeating.

God has one sick sense of humor

I brought down my weapon of plastic and wire, with all the strength I could muster in my dehydrated condition, upon the monster's head. I was rewarded with an amused giggle for my effort and she continued draining me like one would drain oil from a car. I continued striking, the plastic begging to crack and chip with each strike, each and every movement costing precious stamina and energy. And it was all for naught, as my assault didn't seem to even register. She sat up and eyed me curiously as if I was a small insect she had never seen before. My arm laid outstretched refusing to carry out my will, the clock still clutched desperately in my grip. At this point, my body felt cold and numb, yet my arm trembled as I struggled to lift the clock, which suddenly felt like it had gained tremendous weight. She took the impromptu weapon from my now weakened grip and snapped the device like it was a mere twig.

"Why do you struggle?" She loomed like a goddess of death over me, "Don't resist, it's so gentle, like slipping into a warm bath."

"Fuck you!" I managed to spat out.

"Curious." She leaned closer, her noes a hairsbreadth from my own. She tilted her head as she examined me critically. "Even now so close, you still try to fight me."

I did not answer and stared defiantly into her eyes. If I was going to die, I would not give her the pleasure of begging for mercy. I was beyond fear and only anger filled me. I had been kind to this creature. Complimented her and treated her with respect and fondness. And had now, even after I had fed her at the cost of my life, she wanted more of me. I was finished with her. After all, a person only has so much to give before they reach their breaking point and I had reached mine with this creature.

My vision began to blur when she spoke again "Just like William."

I continued started daggers as she plucked a small shard of plastic from when she relieved me of my weapon. I thought she would begin to torture me, poking and prodding so my resolve would waver and I'd begin to beg, but she leaned over me once more and slit her own throat. Dark crimson drops began to rain on my face and I turned my head away.

"Drink." she whispered to me, the words slithering out like a serpent

"No." I croaked.

"You will die, sure as I am speaking to you now." She pulled away and held a hand to her bleeding wound. "Unless you drink."

She did not allow me to refuse a second time, not that I had the strength to do so, and brought my mouth to her neck. I futility tried to escape her iron grip but I found myself drinking deeply once she clutched my lower jaw and forced my mouth open. I coughed and sputtered the moment I felt her blood on my tongue, but I quickly found myself unable to stop. Her blood did not taste metallic like mine had, but mildly salty. I felt strength grow with every drop, but Wilhelmina laid me back down before I fully recover. At this point, as the saying goes, I was running on fumes. I was aware that Wilhelmina had removed herself from on top of me and I registered the sound of doors opening. Then I felt two small, but powerful, arms lift my limp body and carry me like groom with her bride at a wedding. I fought to lift my head but I could not as Wilhelmina gently laid me down in what took me a moment to comprehend was a closet. I thought she was laying me down on the floor of small space, but floor seemed to be far lower than it should be. My bare skin touched the softest and silkiest fabric as my head laid rested against a soft cloud. I wondered what sinister plans she had planned for me when I looked up, just in time for her to close a lid and seal me in darkness.

I did not suffer from claustrophobia, but for those brief moments as my heart struggled to pump what little remained of my blood and my breathing slowed, I did. I began to feel euphoric, almost relaxed and content, as I began to drift off into sleep. And my last thought was that of Christine and the words she had spoken before I walked right into my death, and with a fruit basket no less.

_"Just make sure she knows your mine."_ Her words echoed in my ear and I swear for one brief moment, she was in that dark box with me.

And my last words were to her, "I guess I should have told her."

Then I lost the fight to stay awake as my heart ceased to beat and my lungs failed to continue draw breath, and darkness overtook me.


	3. Waking Up Dead

I awoke to silence and darkness.

My eyes slowly fluttered open and a slight groan escaped from my lips. I gathered I must have been unconscious for quite some time since my eyes had adjusted to the darkness and I could see I was surrounded by white silk padding. If there was another inclination that time had passed, it was the hungry thirst. The mind numbing unbearable ravenous thirst that obliterated almost all conscious thought except to satisfy it. I placed my hands on the ceiling of my casket like room and pushed. I realized the ceiling, as its hinges creaked lightly, was in fact a door, a lid. I weakly sat up as I fully opened the lid and examined my surroundings.

It was then I realized two things.

I was nude and I had been in fact sleeping in a coffin.

I turned my gaze upward and saw a light shining through a crack. I brought my hands as I stood and pushed. Like the lid of the coffin, the ceiling opened like a door and light poured into the small dark space. With a quick jerk, I threw the door open and found myself staring into an all too familiar room. An elegant queen size canopy bed with velvet red silk sheets, a mounted sword and hammer, and the smell of sex protruding the air. I was back in the room where Wilhelmina had slept with me and drank my blood. A single rang clear in my muddled mind. I must leaved before she returned and finished what she had started.

Little did I know that she already had.

With great effort, I managed to lift myself out from the false closet and retrieve my clothes which lay exactly where Wilhelmina had tossed them the night before. I quickly pulled on the black pants and underwear, but I paused when my shirt passed under my nose. I brought the garment under my nose and notice a strange scent. I detected the hint of fruit mixed with sweat and I felt a pang of that hungry thirst that threatened to consume me. I quickly donned the shirt and turned to leave, my legs feeling weak as I stumbled out of the room and half leaned against the doorway of the restroom. I caught sight of the sink and ran the water cold. I splashed my face several times and it seemed to help somewhat. I suppose I should have glanced at the mirror that hung over the sink. Perhaps then I would have noticed how my skin had gotten so pale. I groaned once more as my body yearned for sustenance.

I cupped my hands and filled with my mouth with cool clear water.

But I immediately recoiled at the taste and spat out the precious life sustaining liquid across the floor. I tried once more and fought the urge to purge my mouth, but I could not bring myself to swallow. I could not stand the foul tasting liquid that could no longer sustain me and spat out once more. I cupped my hands once more and brought the liquid to my face, but to not drink. I caught the aroma of metal and chemicals and threw the water back into the sink. I shut of the flow of the abhorrent fluid and left the room. I guessed that Wilhelmina and her friends were not home as I quickly crossed the room, but paused when I caught the scent of sex and lust once again. And something else as well, a sweet delicious scent that made me swallow hard and lick my lips at the thought.

I shook myself out of hunger induced trance and quickly left the apartment. As I quickly rushed to the elevator i caught the sounds of people in their apartments. An infant was crying because his diaper required changing in the apartment two doors down from the one I had just escaped. A television blared sports terms and statistics from behind the door to my left and I could smell the repulsive scent of rotten beer and body odor. I turned my attention and pushed the button to summon the elevator. The button must have been constructed from poor material because I managed to shove the little piece of plastic and wire back into the wall. I pulled my finger back as I felt a spark of electricity. I stared at the small hole I had created when I heard a slight ping, though to my ears was quite clamorous. The door slid open and luckily for me, though more for anyone else, it was devoid of passengers. I entered and pressed the button for the ground floor.

I was a mere four floors from salvation when the elevator pause and a little girl, no more than twelve, entered. She wore a little white dress decorated with yellow daisies and her shoes had tiny plastic flowers that match those of her dress. Her honey blonde hair was tied back in an incomplex ponytail which bounced as she jumped to push the button for the eigth floor. The door closed and she smiled at me, revealing white teeth encased in metal.

"Hello." she squeaked. "I'm Cindy."

I tried to smile, "D-d-d-Dominick."

"I haven't see you here before." she looked curiously at my pale face. "Did you just move in? People been moving all around. Ms. Jenny went to fifth while Mr. Frank and Mr. Langford keep switching rooms on the second." She turned away from as if to speak to the wall. " I think they they're are fighting over which room they want, but there always together and joking around . . . "

She continued speaking, as one would say, at a mile minute, but her words fell on deaf ears. All I could focus upon was her sweet scent, a mixture of apple juice and honey, and her neck with a throbbing carotid artery that pulse with each beat of her heart. My mouth seemed to open on its own accord and I swore I felt something slid down between my teeth. I was aware she was still speaking innocently at the wall as I licked my lips in anticipation of the meal to come. I was less than a millisecond from instinct completly overtaking my body when the door opened with another thundering bell. The door opened and I saw, less than a five yards away, was my freedom and the city. I raced to the door as fast as I could, which appeared too swift from what I came to expect of myself. I crammed the observation back into my head to dwell upon at my leisure and stepped out into the Concrete Jungle.

I'm sure if humans realized how close they came to a brutal death on a daily basis, like sweet little Cindy, they would not leave thier homes unless it was set ablaze.

Everything was as it should be, but it was not. Cars horns honked and thier drivers shouted obscenties in a jumble of languges, but they were far too loud for my ears. The fragrances in the air were stronger than I could recall, more pungent and complex. I could recoiled at the scent of smog and rotting garbage that threatened to make me gag. The night was at the perfect level of illumination for my eyes, though the endless ocean of faux rainbow light I found too luminous and found myself turning away from them. I stood where I was positioned and closed my eyes, trying to adjust to the new sensations, but it was futile.

And, of course, the repulsive hunger continued to hammer at my sanity.

I searched my pockets for money so I could make way back to Penn Station and home from there. Not only were my pockets empty, but my entire wallet and cellphone were absent as well. I couldn't call for assistance, nor could I withdraw a single cent from my bank account. But i was not lost, I was able to ascertain that I stood on the corner of Broadway and Walker. It would be quite the walk, especially in my starved state, but I could follow Broadway north until it crossed with west thirty-third street and follow that west for a block and I would arrive at Penn Station. From there, it would be a simple matter of locating the correct platform and train, and I would be one my merry way home.

I set off at a slow pace and headed north. As I walked I saw the though this was the city that never sleeps, the streets were surprisingly deprived of the crowds that filled them when I first arrived. That was not to say they were utterly deserted. I walked past people that made me pause when I caught their decadent scents and the voracious hunger threatened to overtake my reason. I found it strange that I passed countless food vendors selling hot dogs, pretzels, roasted peanuts, and other types of food and not one of them I found particularly mouth watering. In fact some were down right repelling to me. I cringed and quickened my pace to escape the repelling scent of garlic whenever I strode past a building that prepared famous New York pizza.

I had only managed two, still quite immense, city blocks before I felt a hand grasp the collar of my shirt and wrenched me into the alley I was passing. I felt a strong hand flush me against the cold stone wall just as I caught the scent of decaying rodent mixed with horrid garbage in the air. I recovered my senses when I felt a knife against my throat and dirty looking young man , no older than myself, bared his teeth at me. I know now that all I needed to do was repeat the action, namely barring my teeth, and I'm sure that would have sent the urchin running like a small child home. It was not as if the blade could harm me, unless it was made with silver or wooden and plunged into my heart. But in my defense, and luckily for the asinine mugger, I was not aware I had grown far more lethal since I last walked the streets of the city.

He frisked me quickly as he searched anything of value. "Move and your dead!"

I would have most likely laughed if the hunger had not begun to rear its ugly head. This man smelled far from pleasant. Rotting marijuana and body odor pervaded the air around him, but this did not stop my jaw from slowly opening and I felt that sensation of something sliding out between my teeth once again. Then with a burst of strength and speed that I did not believe I possessed, I grasped the man by his shoulder and twisted so we had switched positions with him against the wall. I heard the clatter of the knife on the floor as I lunged at his neck, intending to sink my teeth into his delicate flesh. Then, when I could no longer stand the mind shattering hunger, I felt a throbbing in the back of my skull. At best, I could describe it akin to having an angry hornet buzzing in your ear, but it felt though as if the insect was inside my head. I turned my head south to where I had come from. I gazed back north to where Penn Station lay and my home beyond that. Then I felt the throbbing again, much stronger this time. I held my head as I stumbled away and the man ran down the alley away from me. I felt the throbbing once more, so powerful that I believed my head would implode from the force. I took off at breakneck pace, breakneck for humans at any rate, heading south on Broadway. I was not certain how, but I reached the building I had escape only an hour eariler in two minutes. I could not understand why I was compelled to return as I gazed back up at the building, but there I stood when another pulse echoed in my head. I enter and found a janitor in a blue uniform mopping the space in front of the elevator. He looked to be in his later fifties when he gaed up from the floor at me.

"Hope yer not plannin' on using the elevator." he said roughly. "Some idiot broke the relay on the twelfth and I had to shut down the whole damn thing until the parts arrive in the morning." he pointed to a corner. "Stair's over there."

I winced as another pulse squeezed my frontal lobe. "Ah!"

"You alright?" he sounded mildly concerned. "You look like you ain't had anything to eat for a real long time."

I did not respond and walked to the stairwell. The door quietly clicked shut as I felt another throb and I flew up the stairs. Not literally flew mind you. I did not, and nor would I ever, possess that gift. I reached the twelfth floor within minutes and paused momentarily in the doorway as I ascertained which direction I should take. Yet another throb informed me to head down the hall to my right. Quicker than a blink of an eye, I found myself staring at apartment 221B yet again. Every instinct, the ones not constantly reminding me of my hunger, yearned for me to turn back. This train of thought was strengthen greatly when I heard voices behind the door. That could only mean Wilhelmina and her friends had returned home and I was being drawn back by some force I could not understand but compelled to obey. I stood there as I listened to the occupants converse.

"Why did Willy bring this crap here again?" asked a voice I recognized as Doyle's. "I never figured her for, what do ya call these again? Comic books?"

"I'm not certain." answered Adrian as I heard him turn a page. "But its not just books, but films and clothes as well."

"I remember my son had one of these." remarked Regina. "Cute."

"What the bloody hell is that?" demanded Doyle.

"A stuffed bear." Regina responded.

"Bollocks." said Adrian. "That thing doesn't look dangerous at all."

"I'm with him." agreed Doyle. "Its missing claws and teeth for one thing. A proper bear would be insulted."

"Its a toy." Regina countered. "Its not meant to depict a real bear."

I would have continued listening, but another throb pulsed and threw the door wide open. I was rewarded for my abrupt intrusion with hisses from Doyle, Adrian, and Regina as fangs shot out from between their teeth. With no conscious thought of my own, I responded in kind and all of them went erect like pale marble statue that someone had thought amusing to dress. They're eyes flashed from each other back to me and Regina gazed behind her and before her eyes returned to me.

"Wilhelmina?" Regina called, not taking her eyes off of me.

"Yes?" answered a voice from down the hall.

"Is there something you forgot to mention?"

Wilhelmina emerged from the hall clad in a white bathrobe and running her fingers through her red hair. "I'm not sure I understand." She caught sight of me. "Oh good, you're here. You must be hungry."

"Did I miss something?" asked Doyle. "Or did you really turn him?"

Wilhelmina raised an eyebrow, "I was not aware that I had to explain my actions to you, Doyle. Need I remind you that I am the authority of this nest?"

"What the fuck is going?" I demanded.

Wilhelmina regarded me for a moment then she motioned the room I had risen from earlier. "Inside."

I shook my head frantically and level a finger at her. "No way! You're not doing that again! I don't even what made me come back here."

Wilhelmina grew serious and repeated with the authority of God himself. "Inside!"

My legs moved on their own accord and I found myself back in room with mounted weapons on the wall and a canopy bed. Wilhelmina entered behind me and closed the door. I watched her walk to the closet where I knew had a coffin beneath a false bottom. I thought she wanted to repeat what she had done the night before and rush to the door.

"Stop!" she ordered with absolute authority.

My hand froze as I grasped the doorknob.

"Now turn around."

I obeyed and saw Wilhelmina throw a bundle of clothes, bound with thick rope and layers of duct tape, onto the floor. It was only when the bundle began to move and whimper that I realized it was young woman. Her scent made my body shudder involuntary and i felt my mouth begin to water. My tongue moistened my lips as I saw she wore a simple black cotton shirt and a short denim skirt. Up to her knees were pink and black striped socks and plain running sneakers. Her words and screams were muffled behind the duct tape that wrapped around her mouth. Her eyes darted around the room frantically before they landed upon me and she tried to speak through the tape. I could not understand, but surmised she was begging to me to help her and set her free.

Wilhelmina knelt by the girl and brushed a lock of hair from her face. "You must be quite hungry. I remember when I first arose, it was all that drove me." She laid the girl on the bed, ignoring her struggles. "Luckily my maker had brought me the local stable boy. Arthur, I think was his name."

"What are you talking about?" I pointed to the girl. "Who's she?"

"I will explain later." She glanced at the girl, who had not ceased her struggling. "As for her, she is to you what Arthur the stable boy was for me."

"I don't understand."

"You will." She assured. "But for now, you must feed."

I began to comprehend what wanted of me, what I was truly hungry for and why human food no longer held the allure it once had. "No! You can't force me."

"You fail to understand that, as your maker, I can force you to carry out any and all commands I give you." She smiled. "But in this case, I do not have to resort to that option." Wilhelmina drew a thumbtack and pricked the girl's neck and the smallest drop of blood formed on her skin.

That was all it took to break me, to shatter every iota of self control.

I pounced on the girl's neck as she screamed behind her bound mouth. I was aware that something slid out between my teeth once more just as I bit down on her soft delicate flesh and the sweet nectar that was her blood filled my mouth. Never had something tasted so deliciously decadent, so satisfying, so gratifyingly luscious that I found myself unable to stop. I drank, sucked, and swallowed until her struggles and screams ceased and she laid still. The flow of delectable liquid began to slow and I bit down harder so I would not be denied its heavenly sustenance.

"Delicious is it not?" I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up at Wilhelmina, "Better?"

Like I had with the bound girl, I pounced and drove her to the floor. I was still hungry, but not for blood. Her fangs slid out as I ripped the white bath robe from her body. I tore open, ripping the buckle from my leather belt and the button from, my pants and entered her with a savage ferocity. She pulled me close and shoved my mouth into hers, her tongue lapping at the blood around my mouth and neck as I continue pounding into her. My pace increased and Wilhelmina's nails dug into my back and tore my shirt, and my skin, to ribbons, as her moans and grunting mixed with my own. We reached our climax together and we both howled together in a sensual chorus of Spanish and old French. I laid down next to her and floated on a cloud of pure bliss.

Wilhelmina caressed my cheek fondly. "_J'avais oublié à quel farouche le jeune pourrait être_."

My mind crashed back to earth with revelation of what I had just done. I grasped her hand and stared into her eyes. "What the hell was that?"

Wilhelmina eyed me flatly, all fondness gone. "I think you know."

I returned the look. "Why would I ask then?"

She rolled her eyes and motioned to the door, "Look in a mirror."

With my new gained speed I reached bathroom where I had tried quench my thirst in a more convential way. What I saw in the mirror shook me to my core. It was me as I was, but it was not me. My hair was still a dark shade of brown, though slightly tousled with little clumps of blood in the strands. My eyes had remained as hazel as my father's. I had not gained any sort of muscle nor had I lost any. I was as I had been when I left my home. My body hair still clung to my chest and underarms as well as my back and groin. What had changed was my skin, namely the color or lack of it. I was as pale as a newborn infant undamaged by the sun rather the light golden brown I had known to be the norm. I leaned closer the mirror as I examined the red stains circling my mouth. I lifted a lip and saw that I had grown a new pair of teeth.

A pair of sharp white fangs just slightly longer than my canines.

"Oh no." I step back from my reflection shaking my head frantically. "No, no, no, no, no."

I jumped at the sound of someone knocking on the door. "I hope yer not trying to take a piss, mate." said Doyle. "And don't try giving yer flute a pep talk, you'll only look like an caffler. Believe me, I've been there."

I threw the door open and flew across the room to the front door, again not literally flew. I was half way out when Regina placed a hand on my shoulder. "Where are you going?"

"Home." I spat.

"You can't." she said simply.

"Watch me!"

I turned and actually managed two steps before I heard Wilhelmina's voice and I froze. "Stop!"

I turned my head and saw she had forsaken her bathrobe for a shirt and pants. "Stop doing that." I growled.

"Sit down." she ordered and she watched me sink into a leather armchair. "I will not stop until you realize what you are."

"And what's that?" I demanded.

"A vampire, mate." Doyle leaped over a couch and his feet landed in Adrian's lap, "I know what you're thinking, put a Santa hat on it and call it Randal, but its true."

"Doyle, please get your shoes off my lap." Adrian asked dangerously calm.

Doyle obliged, "Sorry, mate."

Adrian turned to me. "What my nestmate fails to convey properly, is that you have been made vampire." His eyes flicked to Wilhelmina. "As for why, that is between you and your maker."

"Right." I said still not believing the truth. "And when does Buffy bust in with Angel? This could all be a dream. Just a really lucid dream."

"A dream? Please tell me I wasn't this much of an ape." Doyle threw a thumb over his shoulder to Wilhelmina's room. "If that's what ya dream about, going at it like rabbits with some fine vixen after drinking another bird's blood? Then ya got some really warped issues."

I thought back to the girl who's blood I drank as a man dying of thirst in the Sahara desert would a glass of water and how she was most likely dead. Wilhelmina had bound and kidnapped an innocent girl for me to drink her blood until she died. I probably would have done more much worse had Wilhelmina not distracted me.

I cradled my head, "Oh, god . . . that means . . . that I . . . that she's . . . I need . . . I can't . . . I can't breath . . ."

Adrian moved in with such rapid speed, it was not until I felt his hands crushing my wind pipe that I noticed he had moved. I gagged and choked as Adrian stared emotionless into my eyes and he tightened his grip like a vice. I pounded and tried to wrench his grip from my neck, but to avail as he was far stronger than I. I looked to the others. Wilhelmina simply stared back at me while Doyle appeared thoroughly enthralled. Regina sat next to him and looked mildly concerned.

"Shouldn't we have just told him?" she asked.

"And miss the show?" Doyle chuckled. "Not a chance, love. If I could, I'd be munching on some popcorn right now."

I wondered how they could chat so idly as Adrian choked the life from me. That was when I begun to notice, once the initial shock had passed, that I did feel the lack of air. In fact, other than the unpleasant for wrapping around my neck, I could think clearly which I should be able to if I was still dependent on oxygen or any gas for that matter

"You understand now?" Adrian demanded before he removed his hands from my neck. "You have been made vampire. You do not require air as you once did. You cannot suffocate, drown, or die by a lack oxygen."

"You could have just said so." I croaked rubbing my sore throat.

"Thank you, Adrian." said Wilhelmina as he sat down on another armchair.

"I shouldn't be the one to tell him." Adrian said flatly.

"As much I'd love to hear ol' Willy blather on." Doyle stood up. "I could eat a baby's arse through the bars of a cot, who's in the mood for Chinese?"

"I could eat." Regina stood to follow. "That girl that Wilhelmina brought really made me hungry. Just let me change."

"I am quite famished myself." Adrian asked. "You want the usual place i take it?"

"Unless you know a better spot."

"I must change as well."

Regina became a blur as she rushed to her room as did Adrian.

Doyle groomed his hair in the window's reflection, "Want us to bring ya back anything, Willy?"

"That will not be necessary." said Wilhelmina. "I am joining you."

Doyle motioned to me. "And him?"

Wilhelmina did not even look at me. "He will stay here."

"But — "

"You are far too young." She explained.

I protested. "I'm twenty one. That makes me perfectly capable of making my own — "

"That is not what I meant." Wilhelmina interrupted.

"Fine," I snapped. "I'll get something myself."

"No you will not." she ordered. "You are not to leave this apartment."

I felt my new fangs shoot out with my anger, but I fought the urge to hiss. "Then can you at least bring me something back?"

"You still hungry?" Doyle adjusted the collar of his shirt. "Whatcha in the mood for, mate?"

"The place you going have lo mein?" I asked.

Lo Mein?

If there was ever a time I wished I could bend the laws of time and space, it would be then.

So I could properly slap myself for my idiocy.

Doyle, on the other hand, found it amusing. "Get a load of him, Willy. Lo mein? The bugger doesn't seem to get it."

"I can see that, Doyle." Wilhelmina motioned to the cardboard boxes scatter around the room that I had failed to notice. "While we hunt, you will sort through these boxes and their contents."

I opened a box and removed comic books in plastic bags. "These are mine."

"I am aware of that." Wilhelmina said slightly irritated. "I purchased them from your family."

"They sold my stuff?" I asked astonished. "Just like that?"

"They must have been desperate for the coin." offered Doyle. "From what I figured, they had to pay for the funeral somehow."

"A funeral? After only one day? I thought you had to wait at least two for the cops to get involved."

"Normally you'd be bang on, but ya been asleep for three days." Doyle sank into a chair and propped his feet on a box. "Plus, we couldn't just have ya disappear. So Willy, Regina, Adrian, and meself torched yer car with a couple of stiffs for good measure."

"Thanks." I said dryly

Doyle smiled. "Don't mention it. Saved us the trouble of dumping the stiffs from our little party."

"Wait, I was dead for three days?"

"Technically, yer still dead, but I get yer point." Doyle looked down the corridor impatiently.

"The process for turning a human is quite simple." said Wilhelmina flatly as if she was explaining how to boil water. "I drained you of your blood until the point of your death. Then I fed you my blood before stowing your corpse in a dark place where you would lay dead for all intents and purposes. After three days, today, you rose again to walk the night as a vampire, supposedly for the rest of eternity."

"Supposedly?" I asked cautiously.

"Well, sometimes things go a little arseways." Doyle checked his watch and frowned before he resumed speaking. "Drugs and alcohol sometimes complicate things, but she means ya can still be killed."

"How?"

"Sunlight." answered Wilhelmina. "Silver can harm and weaken our kind, but it is not lethal."

"I thought that was just werewolves." I said.

"Them too." said Doyle.

"There's werewolves too?" I foolishly asked.

"Yes." Wilhelmina eyed me curiously. "I thought it would be altogether obvious to come to that conclusion."

"Oy, hurry up you two!" Doyle shouted down the hall. "I'm as weak as a salmon in a sandpit over here."

Adrian emerged instantly with an emerald green dress shirt and midnight black slacks. "Has anyone ever informed you that you are very impatient for a vampire, Doyle?"

"Has anyone ever told ya that only someone with a fanny should be concerned about dressing to the nines?" Doyle countered. "Speaking of fannies, Oy! Regina, just pick something. I'm sure ya'll look quite juicy no matter what yer wearing. Its only Chinatown."

"Ready!" Regina appeared in a blur wearing a red dress with golden dragons and Chinese characters with chopsticks holding together her hair.

"I'm not even gonna ask." Doyle stood up from the couch and walked to the door, everyone followed but me.

Wilhelmina did not even look back at me.

The door closed shut and there I was, alone surrounded by boxes of my possessions. I suppose I could have attempted to return home again, but I doubted I would get very far. Even If I had reached my home on Long Island, Wilhelmina would had just called me back like she had the first time. I tried to sort the through the boxes of old clothes and novels, but I found myself on the verge of tears as I remembered how I had received many of them as gifts. Gifts, from friends and family I would never see again. I had not doubt of that. They would live their lives and eventually die, believing I had perished years beforehand, while I continued to walk the earth.

And drink the blood of humans.

Blood.

Just the thought of that warm sticky red liquid coating my tongue and throat made me ravenous. I checked the refrigerator in hopes that someone might had the hindsight to store some away. It was fully stocked with food. I saw raw steaks of beef, pork, fish, and chicken. Fresh produce and fruits laid untouched in plastic bags. There was a fresh gallon of milk along three different types of juices as well as beer and other half empty bottles of liquor, but no blood. To be thorough, I checked the freezer and every drawer and cupboard. I found countless boxes of precooked food. Parboiled rice, oven ready lasagna, and cans upon cans of tuna and vegetables. Peas, carrots, corn, potatoes, meat, fruits, water, soda, liquor. Name it and I found it, untouched of course, and not a single speck of it edible to me anymore. While I had come a struggling family, I did not know feeling of an empty stomach. I had not gone a single day in my life without food on my family's table. I closed the cupboards and refrigerator defeated. Had I given it some thought, it would have logical that the food was there simply to give the illusion that humans lived there, not vampires. But at that moment, all that came to my mind was the sick irony of being surrounded by food and starving.

Then the image of the bound girl I had drained earlier, still and unmoving in Wilhelmina's room.

I recalled reading that the average adult body held roughly ten pints of blood, just slightly more than one gallon. I was certain I had not drained every last drop she had to offer. Granted, the blood might be cold, but it would have to do until Wilhelmina and the others returned. I struggled with the ramifications of what I was considering. I had already, and quite literally, sucked the life from her. But i was still hungry and Wilhelmina had not informed me how long until they returned. I would stayed there, still as a statue, but hunger drove me and I entered Wilhelmina's room. I carried the girl, surprisingly light to my arms, into the bathroom. I retrieved a large glass pitcher from the kitchen and undid the rope that bound her, it was not as if she could have fought me alive or not. I tied a simple knot around her ankles and threw the length of rope over the metal bar that held the shower curtain. I hauled her up and secured the rope around the pipe under the sink. I placed the pitcher under her pale expressionless face and turned to leave. While I was not desperate as I was earlier, I did not trust myself to watch what little blood she had dripped into the container drop by tantalizing drop.

I had just reached the door when I heard a voice. "So you're just gonna leave me here?" I turned and she was looking at me curiously, like we were sharing a cup of coffee. "What happened to respect for the dead?"

I shook my head and turned away, "Shut up! You're not talking. You're dead."

She chuckled, "Hello, Kettle, I'm Cauldron. BTW, you're black."

"This is isn't happening." I told myself. "This is isn't happening."

"I don't know why you're upset. I'm the one hanging like a piece of meat."

"Just go away." I begged. "Please, just leave me alone."

"Hello, you killed me, remember?" She said casually."The least you could do is talk to me."

"What do you want from me?" I fell to my knees still not daring to look her in the eye. "An apology?"

"It'd be a nice start."

"I'm sorry, okay?" I was on the verge of tears. "I didn't want to. I couldn't . . . couldn't . . . I . . ."

"Stop from chugging me like a beer at a frat house?" she offered nonchalantly.

"Yes." I sighed, expelling the remaining useless air from my dead lungs. "Happy now?"

"Not really."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not really talking. Your guilt is only making you think I'm talking."

"Then why won't you go away?"

"You have something you wanna get off your chest. Something you regret maybe? Or maybe you want someone to talk to, even if they're not really there. Come on, there must be something."

"I just wanna go home." I sniffed.

"Do you? Do you really?"

"Yes."

"What do you have waiting for you back there?"

"My family." I said. "My friends."

"Would be the same family that you have wasting your life on?"

"Wasting?"

"How many years do you think your dad has left if he keeps spending his paycheck, money that he could have saved for you to go college or your brother, on booze?"

I couldn't answer her.

"What would have happened if you had stayed? You'd probably be working the same job until his liver gave out, leaving you to support your mother and brother on a low bar tending job."

"Shut up!"

"You know I'm right. He's the reason you stayed home while your friends went to Mexico for spring break while you delivered pizzas, only to lend him the money to pay the rent because he was between jobs but still found the cash to buy beer."

"I said shut up!"

"What about a girlfriend? You couldn't go out to parties, the movies, or even to a bar to meet a girl. Why? All because you had to save every single cent so he could drink it all away."

"I KNOW!" I began to sob as I pounded the floor, my strength shattering the tiles into dust. "But he was my dad! What could I do? Leave! What about my mom and brother?"

"You can't save everyone." she said gently. "If I had to guess, Wilhelmina and the others probably made it look like a drunk driving accident. Maybe that'll shake your dad enough to get his shit together, for your brother's sake at least."

"And if you;re wrong?"

"Then I'm wrong." she said plainly. "Look, I'm not expert, but feeling sorry for yourself is gonna get real old real fast. Especially since you have all of eternity to wallow in it. You may good looking, but you're no David Boreanaz"

"Eternity?"

"You're a vampire now, remember?"

"Big fucking whoop."

"I'll say so. Able to live forever, super strength, speed, heightened senses."

"No more sun. No more food. No more fresh air." I said.

She countered with. "No more lactose intolerance or indigestion. No more allergies."

"Ripping people's necks open to eat."

She paused.

"Forgot about that didn't you?"

"Technically, you forgot about it. I'm not really here." She reminded me. "There has to be other vampires in the world. And I'm sure someone would have noticed if people started disappearing left and right, especially this day and age. Maybe you don't need to drain people completely. Or you could drain animals, isn't that what Angel did during Buffy and the spin off? Pig's blood, right? Try asking Wilhelmina when she gets back."

"I'm still wondering why she just didn't kill me."

"You reminded her someone."

"Who?"

"Don't you remember? When she was draining you, she said 'Just like William'. An old boyfriend, maybe."

"I'll have to ask her."

"You do that." She paused for a moment. "I think I'm dry."

"Really?"

"Unless you're planning one squeezing me like a lemon, that's all I got left."

I turned to see the pitcher was a quarter of the way filled. I was disappointed by how little was in the pitcher, but I quickly felt ashamed at the very thought. I had killed this girl and my only thought was she had little blood in her body for me to drink. However, the shame was not enough to prevent me from taking the pitcher to main room of the apartment.

So I would not spill a single drop of the precious nectar, I retrieved a large wineglass and filled it nearly to the brim. I drained the glass of liquid in seconds, licking my lip and wishing for more. I filled the glass with the last of the liquid, that had replaced both water and food for me, and drained it just as quickly. I was not certain what came over me, but I quickly sifted through the boxes and found a vinyl record player. I set the record player upon an unopened box and plugged the wire into an outlet. It took me another moment to locate the box that held my small collection of vintage records, most of them recovered from the trash. I blew off the dust that had collected on the surface and set it to play. I returned to the couch and gazed up at the ceiling, memories of my Christine playing across the white surface like a film, just as the music began to play.

_She was Boston, I was Vegas,_

_She was Crepe Suzette, I was pie,_

_She was lectures, I was movies, _

_but I loved her._

_She was Mozart, I was Basie,_

_She was afternoon tea, I was saloon,_

_She was Junior League, I was Yankees_

_But I loved her morning, night and noon._

Christine and I laughing over drinks after graduation, sharing popcorn at the movies, and the day we had sat next to each other at a baseball game and I gave her the home run ball I had caught played across the pure white ceiling. I felt thick drops running from my eyes and down my face, but I could not tear my eyes from the angel of beauty above me, even to wipe them.

_Opposites attract, the wise men claim,_

_Still I wish that we had been a little more the same._

_It might have been a shoot out war,_

_If we had know each other more._

_She was polo, I was race track,_

_She was museums, I was TV._

_She did her best to change me_

_Though she never never knew quite how,_

_But I loved her, almost as much as I do now._

Now it was images of her twirling in elegant dresses she wanted to wear to our high school prom, picking clothes out for me to wear, and of us dancing together when both of our dates had left us for each other that caused me more grief and I felt more tears run down my face.

_She was Wall Street, I was pawn shop,_

_She was French champagne, I was beer,_

_She knew much more that I did_

_But there was one thing she didn't know,_

_That I loved her, 'cause I never never told her so . . ._

And there I sat for the next five hours, wallowing in misery and hunger, until Wilhelmina and the others returned. I could hear Doyle and Regina laughing only to pause when they caught sight of me.

Wilhelmina sounded irritated. "I thought I ordered you to sort through these boxes."

"I'll do it tomorrow." I croaked. "Just leave me alone."

"Where did you acquire that blood?" Adrian asked rather concerned.

He was likely concerned that I had killed yet another person and failed to cover the evidence properly. In centuries past, it was quite common for someone to disappear without a trace. But now if a person went missing for two days, there would be an investigation with highly advanced forensic tools. It was not being arrested and convicted for murder that would be the issue, but the discovery of vampires. And it was only possible if vampires did not take care to cover their tracks properly, like staging the death of the people drained at the party when Wilhelmina had turned me.

I motioned to the bathroom where the girl still hung and I heard the rapid footsteps rush to see and I heard Doyle say, "Its the same bird that Willy brought before. Gotta say, Peaches, barely a night old and yer already thinking like a vampire."

"Peaches?" asked Adrian.

"Willy said he tasted like peaches." Doyle responded.

"Did you have use the good wineglasses?" Regina asked me.

I did not answer, continuing to stare at the now blank ceiling, when I sense Wilhelmina appear in front me. "Something has upset you."

I refused to meet her eyes and chuckled grimly. "I used to get upset. When I got a flat tire, when my brother took money from my wallet. I used to get upset . . . when the Mets won the subway series." I laughed again, madly this time. "So if that's what upset means, what am I feeling now? If you know the word, tell me because I don't."

"He's gone mad." Adrian said plainly as if he was simply remarking on the color of my shoes.

"Oh, he'll be fine." Doyle assured. I heard the sound of a plastic bag being ruffled through and I felt Doyle place something in my lap. "Luckily fer you, Regina reminded me to bring ya doggy bag."

Even then, at probably the lowest point of my existence, I felt hungry. I gazed down a plastic container that I had seen countless times when I had ordered food from a Chinese restaurant. I did not bother to pry the lid and sunk my fangs through the fragile thin plastic and nearly swallowed a mouthful. I say nearly swallowed, because the instant the blood filled my mouth I spat out the blood in a red mist. I coughed and gagged as I heard Regina mutter under her breath something about purging the furniture of the blood stains. Wilhelmina eyed me curiously and looked to Doyle.

"What was in that container?" Adrian asked.

"Blood." Doyle shrugged. "What else?"

Wilhelmina growled, "What kind of blood?"

"Pure breed shih tzu." Doyle said innocently. "Regina said get 'im a doggy bag and he was barking up a storm."

"I didn't mean a literal dog, you idiot." Regina snapped.

"Next time be more specific, love." Doyle shrugged.

"She did not have to be, Doyle." Adrian said. "You know perfectly well that we can only survive on human blood."

Once Adrian spoke those words, it broke me. Until I learned to control my urges or deliberately starved myself, I would mostly likely kill more innocent people to simply satisfy my hunger.

I stood up and shuffled down the corridor when Wilhelmina said, "Where are you going?"

"Bed." I croaked.

"There still is two hours until dawn." Wilhelmina informed me.

"I don't care."

"Very well, your room will be the last one at the end of the hall."

I entered the room that only held a single bed and nightstand. There was a mirror that hung opposite a door which I assume lead to a small closet. As I passed the mirror, I paused.

Dark red streak ran from my eyes down my cheeks.

"As a vampire, you will cry blood from now on instead of common tears." Wilhelmina explained when she saw my confusion.

I collapsed onto the bed and laid there, ignoring the stale scent of the cotton sheets that were still clean, but had not been washed in some time. I was still aware Wilhelmina stood and watched me, but I didn't seem to care.

"The closet has a false bottom." She told me. "There you will find an empty coffin to rest during the daylight hours."

"Why can't I just sleep on the bed?" I asked.

"There is a window above the bed." I looked up and saw she was correct. "Sunlight is lethal for our kind. During the day, we must rest in a place where sunlight cannot reach us."

I roused myself from the bed and opened the door to my new closet. It was empty with a small rug innocently covering what I knew was a trapdoor. I found a crease and lifted the door. I stared at the white padded interior of a coffin that I had woken up to only a few hours ago. I shook my head, remembering how terrified and claustrophobic I felt in Wilhelmina's coffin as I died.

"Get in." Wilhelmina said.

"No." I stepped back. "No. Not again."

"Get in!" She said again, this time making her words an order that I could not disobey.

I closed the lid to my new coffin as I heard Wilhelmina close the trapdoor and the closet door behind it. In that moment, I was severely tempted to leave the safety of the coffin and fall asleep in the bed. Just to feel normal and human again, even if it meant my death.

But the words of that girl i had drained echoed in my head.

_"Feeling sorry for yourself is gonna get real old real fast. Especially since you have all of eternity to wallow in it."_


	4. Pros & Cons

If you had informed me that in the summer following my twenty first birthday that I would spend it locked in a spacious apartment in Soho. I would have called you an idiot. If you had continued to explain that I would spend that year surrounded by all the luxuries I yearned for, namely high definition television, countless video games, and all the graphic novels I could read, I would have laughed at how well you knew me. And if you finished with informing me that I would spend every night in bed with a fiery french redhead, I would have most certainly called you insane.

And yet . . .

That is exactly how I spent the next year of my life.

Excuse me, how i spent the my first year as a newly turned vampire.

I quickly fell into a routine. I would rise from my coffin once the sun had set. Wilhelmina and the others would leave to hunt while I stayed behind. As a new vampire, I could not control my blood lust, Wilhelmina though it strange that I did not drain a random bystander when I first arose. Therefor I was to wait until Wilhelmina returned with a human to drain, like a mother bird with her chicks. Wilhelmina called me childish for doing so, but she obliged when I requested she bring criminals for me to drain. She claimed it was intelligent of me to ask. No one but the police would come looking for murders and rapists if they disappeared without a trace, and they would only assume they had fled to another location. That was advantageous to me since new vampires required to feed almost daily for the first year and I would requires less and less blood as the years passed. Despite the fact that a good portion of my meals would have been tried, convicted, and sentenced to death in some case, I was still uncomfortable with ending their lives. I had Wilhelmina teach me how to glamor, one of the many tools at a vampire's arsenal, so I could have my victims confess to their crime and not drain an innocent person. While Wilhelmina had agreed to do so, I had the nagging thought it did not matter to her one way or the other like it had with me.

Glamoring humans was the not the only thing I learned from Wilhelmina .

While Wilhelmina may seem like a strange name to most, it was quite common during the 1270's. It is simply the female equivalent of William. Now if you were to take the name William and attached her surname, Wallace, it would quite easy to know that she had been sister to the one and only William Wallace. I also learned why there was such a depute among historians whether or not the Wallace Sword that was on display in National Wallace Monument in Stirling. It was because the true Wallace sword hung in Wilhelmina's room across from his favorite war hammer. Wilhelmina explained that she wished nothing more to aid her brother in freeing themselves from English rule, but could not fight as an eighteen year old woman. To prove herself, she had taken upon herself to protect William from countless assassination attempts as he rebelled and fought against the english. She succeeded without a single person, friend or foe, discovering her from 1297 to 1305.

Because she did not travel with William, she could not prevent his capture and eventual execution. She followed as her brother was transported to London, lodged in the house of William de Leyre, then taken to Westminster Hall, where he was tried for treason and for atrocities against civilians in war. They night before his execution, Wilhelmina sat in a local tavern as she struggled to concoct a plan to not only infiltrate where he brother was being held, but free him. A drifter, only known as Wymark, overheard Wilhelmina offering herself in return for the service of the local mercenaries. He quickly dispatched the mercenaries that had grown angry when Wilhelmina refused to payment upfront and tried by force. She knew by this man's immense strength and speed, he was not altogether human. She had begged and pleaded with the man to grant her the same power and he agreed, if she would share his bed for the night. She knew now that Wymark had been a vampire. He had sex with her, drained her, and turned her. But Wymark had failed to mention that she would lay dead for three days before she arose. Exactly two days and one night far too long. By the time she had arose as Wymark's progeny, William had been already been taken to the Tower of London. He was then stripped naked and dragged through the city at the heels of a horse to the Elms at Smithfield. He was then castrated, eviscerated and his bowels burnt before him, beheaded, then cut into four parts. His preserved head was placed on a pike atop London Bridge.

With her brother dead and unable to return to her family, as all vampires, she traveled with Wymark to France where she stayed with him for a few decades as his lover. They eventually, as most makers and progeny do, went their separate ways and she made the journey to the New World in 1592, nearly a century after Columbus's discovery. She then spent the next couple of centuries wandering from settlement to settlement all over the newly discovered continent. In that time she witnessed every single conflict, both minor and major, that occurred on American soil. The French and Indian War from 1754 to 1763, the American War of Independence in 1776, the War of 1812, and The Civil War during the 1860's. She soon realized how quickly New York City had begun to expand and decided to settle there. Where there were massive cities like New York, there would be thousands upon thousands of humans to fed on. It would be highly unlikely that one would notice the the disappearance of a few hundred over the centuries. And if one were to notice and investigate, they too would disappear. During her tenure in the soon to be famous city, she discovered she was not the only one of her kind to see the city as giant oyster simply aching to be opened.

It was during the American Industrial Revolution that she chanced upon Adrian as he fed from the local sailors in 1867.

Adrian had been made during the Golden of Piracy in 1726. He had entered the service of the British Royal Navy at the age of seventeen and rose through the the ranks quite quickly. At age thirty, Adrian had been given command of his own small fleet and tasked with stomping out the rising pirating raids in the Caribbean. The rise of piracy had been a result of the Anglo-American sailors and privateers left unemployed by the end of the War of the Spanish Succession.

It was when one of scouts in the crow's nest, just as the sun had begun to set, had spotted a ship flying the colors of the Empire. Adrian and twelve of his crew, what had remained after a battle against a large band of ruthless of french pirates, boarded the ship and found it to be deserted. They then turned thier search below decks and made the foolish mistake to separate. When he heard the wails of terror and agony, Adrian ran to find his comrades and found himself face to face with sixteen year old boy with blood dripping from his mouth. While I do not know the name of the boy, it was elementary to know that boy had been a vampire and turned the stoic navy commander. They spent some time together before parting ways, in what would become Miami, in 1802. On a whim, Adrian found himself traveling slowly north as he sampled the local sailors from the various ports on the eastern coast of country. Like Wilhelmina, Adrian had seen the potential and availability of human blood and settled near one of the ports that where the Brooklyn Bridge would be completed in 1883.

Speaking of Brooklyn, that is where Doyle made his home when he came to America during the first world war in 1916.

He had wished to avoid being drafted to fight. While he often wished to travel the rest of Europe, have gotten into the knickers of every woman from Dublin to Waringsford as he like to put it, but it was not worth laying in a muddy ditch while being shot at. He took the local pubs and picked up his life exactly where he had left it in Dublin. He like to boast that during the last two years of the war, he had every woman from Brooklyn to Trenton. Like many before him, his charming good looks combined with his Irish brogue proved to be his undoing. He caught the eye of a seemingly innocent pale blonde girl just old enough to catch his eye. She pretended to be taken in by his charms and took him to her bed for the night. That innocent blond girl, Maryanne, had been a vampire since 1890 and turned the cocky Doyle after, as Doyle put it, giving the best Aussie kiss he had ever had. Maryanne eventually grew tired of him and left for Chicago in 1932. Rather than travel, Doyle chose to remain in New York City as he saw countless immigrants flooding to Coney Island as the second world war was beginning to brew in Europe.

With the exception of myself, Regina was by far the youngest of our nest.

Regina had lived as an average suburban housewife during the Civil Rights Movement somewhere in middle America in the 1960's. She had married her high school boyfriend and had a son with him. For five years she lived a normal life for the time. Her husband brought food to the table as he maintained the household and cared for her son. But she had a terrible secret, well terrible for the time at least. While her friends often had affairs while their husbands were away, often boasting at their boldness, they never once bedded a man of color. Not only did Regina do so, but she also took women to her bed. Such a thing seems trivial and even common now, but then it was quite against the status quo. She was eventually discovered and made a public outcast in her little community. So much so, that when she returned from grocery shopping one night, a group of drunk bigoted college freshman thought it amusing to strike her with their car. As she lay there, her sweet succulent blood wasting on the ground, a young man appeared and carried her away. She thought that one of the freshman had come realize his mistake and was rushing her to a doctor. But known to her at the time, Regina's injuries were to far severe for the medical marvels of the time to save her. Thought some would argue against it, she was fortunate that the young man had been hunting in the local park adjacent to where Regina had been struck and witnessed everything. Taken pity on her, he turned her and helped her take revenge on all of those who shunned and ridiculed her for blasphemous ways. She did spare her husband and child. Her husband had come to accept her mistake and agreed to put it behind them for the sake of their son when she had chosen that night to surprise him with his favorite roast for dinner. And her son was simply too young to form an opinion on the matter. She continued following her son as he grew and lived his life, ignoring her maker's advice against it. She followed him all the way to New York City until he died of an aneurism as he worked the day shift in a pizzeria.

And of course you know my story.

I am familiar with Stockholm syndrome and I suppose it could be argued that is what I developed towards Wilhelmina. She had saved me in way. No longer did I have waste the best years of my life working my fingers to the bone so my father could drink away the fruits of my labor. She liberated me from all the ailments I had developed as a small a child, namely seasonal allergies and lactose intolerance. She had granted me what humans had yearned for centuries, eternal youth. I would no longer have to take care to exercise and made sure I received all the necessary nutrients and vitamins needed for the human body to thrive. I would remain as I had been when she had turned me. A young, if somewhat scrawny, twenty one year old boy with an affinity for old music and comic books.

I did not love Wilhelmina, but I did grow attached to her over time. I am still not entirely clear what I felt towards her. As her progeny I was obligated to carry out her orders, even I found them distasteful. It was this power over me that prevented me from leaving the apartment while she and the rest hunted. I oddly found myself looking forward to her return like an eager puppy greeting his master. And like a puppy I associated her return with possibility of food. I'm sure that if I had tail, it would have wagged. Especially when she summoned me from my room to hers whenever she felt hungry for more than blood. A hunger that I was all to happy to satisfy.

It was one of those nights that she received a phone call from an old friend.

We laid in bed together, her hand drifting down to my groin and fondly stroking as she licked the blood from the corners of my mouth. She had brought a man who had confessed to carrying out many perverted acts with children before slowly ending their lives with his belt around their soft necks. He had been tried and acquitted by the courts since he had taken care to dispose of any and all evidence, but freely admitted and even sounded blissful when he confessed while I glamored him. I had never been one to appoint myself to judge, jury, and executioner, but I had to eat and I doubted he would be missed. As I had learned during my first night, blood and sex were tightly wound together in the vampire life system. While I did not feel any desire for the pedophile, Wilhelmina was more than eager to curb the desire I felt.

She whisper gently in my ear, her hand continuing to stroke. "_Je suis sûr que vous n'avez jamais cru cela possible alors que vous étiez en vie, hein_?"

I was to busy to answer her as her tongue went from my cheek to behind my ear, her pace beginning to quicken, and a moan of pleasure resonated from deep behind my throat. I felt my fangs extend fully as they did whenever I was hungry, whether it was for blood or something more, and I heard Wilhelmina's own with a slight _shnick_,

Then I heard the strangest sound

An eight bit version of Fur Elise.

"_Merde_" Wilhelmina hissed and reached over my bare chest for a little black cellphone. "_Ceci est dû mieux d'être bon_!"

I heard a garbled response and Wilhelmina sat up suddenly. "Ryuu-sama?"

"Ryuu-sama?" I asked.

Wilhelmina hissed for me to be silent.

If there is a single human thing to Wilhelmina, it is she absolutely abhors when someone is tries to speak with her while she is on the phone.

"_Hai_, it has been a long time." She paused to listen. "_Hai_, I am still in the city, but in Soho now." Another pause. "Tomorrow night?" She glanced at me. "_Hai_, I can be there ." A final pause. "My entire nest?, as you wish."

"Who was that?" I asked once she ended the call.

"An old friend." She answered, looking concerned. "We met when he left China after the Boxer Rebellion at the turn of the century."

"Is something wrong?"

"He requires my presence, our presence."

"All of us? Adrian, Doyle, and Regina?"

"The entire nest." She asked. "Did you retain any formal clothing?"

"No." I explained. "You tore my only dress shirt when you turned me."

Wilhelmina glanced at the clock. "The night is young, but I must make preparations. I assume you disposed of your bank card?"

I nodded, it had been necessary. After all, a dead person didn't need to withdraw money from an ATM. "The bank would have given the little money I had to my family when you faked my death."

She rushed to a dresser and tossed me a small roll of cash. "I want you to find yourself some presentable clothing."

I unrolled the roll and counted the bills. "This is almost fifty dollars."

"Is that not enough?" She asked. "Clothing couldn't have risen that much in price."

"When was the last time you went shopping for clothes?"

"1929." she answered. "I normally had Adrian or Doyle buy clothes for me. Lately, Regina has been taking care of that task. We share similar taste."

"Well, I'm gonna need a lot more than fifty dollars." I told her. "Especially if you want me to look good for this Ryuu."

"Very well, go and shower. When you are finished I should have the cash ready." She began dialing another number on her cellphone. "_Bonjour, ceci est Wilhelmina Wallace. Je souhaite louer une voiture pour demain soir_."

"Wait," i said. "You're actually letting me leave the apartment?"

Wilhelmina hissed at me again, her fangs extending fully.

Needlessly to say, I rushed to the shower.

I ran the water hot like I had when I was alive and stepped in. While I never studied or practiced meditation, hot showers were the closest I came to doing so. There was something oddly relaxing to stand motionless as the hot water rained gently on my body, soothing my tense body and allowing me time to think. This was, of course, when I was alive, but the foundation was still the same.

I found myself wondering where Christine was at this hour. No doubt asleep in her bed or possibly at college party with countless drunk idiots trying to get her to sleep with them. Perhaps she was simply completing an assignment for a class for her second year of college. There was always the chance she had been chosen for that cardiac internship she had been hoping for was currently familiarizing herself with the human heart. I recall that she expressed the desire to be a heart surgeon as her grandfather had been given a heart that had been infected with HIV. She did not wish for someone else to suffer the mistake that had claimed his life and strove to do just that. While devoted myself to the culinary arts, she dove into the world of cardiology and hematology. We often joked that we could make each other fortunes upon fortunes. I would fed them huge amount of artery clogging food so they would need some kind of surgery. Christine would then perform the surgery and take them to my restaurant to celebrate the success. Then the process started all over again.

I was torn from my fond memories when I felt a pair of soft hands. One was gently washing my back with a cloth while another reached around my waist and drifting towards my groin. A gasp escaped from my lips and my fangs extended as the hand began stroking me ever so gently. Then I felt someone nuzzling my neck. I assumed Wilhelmina had finished her preparations and wanted to continue what she started when we were interrupted by Ryuu.

"Oh how the ladies must have loved you." a voice whispered in my ear.

It was not Wilhelmina.

I turned my head to see Regina, beautifully naked, looming over me and giggling at my surprised expression, "Expecting someone else?"

Like myself, Regina's fangs were fully out and I knew she was not hungry for my blood, not since Wilhelmina had turned me. "Regina . . ."

"Hmm?" Her hand continued stroking as she began to chew on my ear.

"Wilhelmina — "

"Oh she won't mind." Regina purred. "Though I can see why she might."

"But — "

"Relax, honey." She kissed behind my ear. "Vampires practically invented open relationships."

Then the shower curtain flew open.

Regina and both turned to see an expressionless Wilhelmina.

I swore at the moment, if it was still beating, my heart would have stopped.

"Hey, Wilhelmina." Regina didn't seem concerned. In fact, her hand never stopped its slow rhythm. "Hope you don't mind. I just had to have a taste. You can join us. I'm sure he won't mind."

Wilhelmina's fangs slid out part way as if she was tempted, but said. "Another time. I need you to accompany him to Grégoire's."

"What's the occasion?" Regina's hand stopped but did not release me.

"Ryuu has summoned us." Wilhelmina said. "He specifically asked for our entire nest."

"And you want me to babysit while he's fitted." Regina stepped out of the shower and began walking to her room. "Alright. Give me a minute to dry off and get dressed."

Wilhelmina shut the flow of hot water. "You are clean enough."

I quickly dried and donned some of my old clothing. I wore a black T-shirt with the classic yellow Batman symbol on the chest, a pair of worn blue jeans that were not too faded, and my favorite pair of vintage red sneakers. I impatiently waited by the door as Regina took her sweet time choosing an outfit and applying make up. As I waited, Wilhelmina explained to Doyle and Adrian had summoned us.

"Hold on," said Doyle. "I git the bit about summoning ya, but why us?"

"It is most unusual." Adrian agreed. "We are not in his area."

"He assured that Matthew has been notified and did not oppose."

"What do you mean by not in his area?" I asked.

"Ryuu is the sheriff of Area Three." Adrian explained. "We currently reside in Area Two which is under Matthew's control."

"You lost me." I said, looking to Wilhelmina for an explanation.

"To keep our kind from discovery," Wilhelmina began. "Vampires have divided the countries and provinces around the world. In the case of the United States, each state is composed of areas in which a single vampire, often very old, controls. It his duty to make sure that vampires are not discovered by humans and wields immense power over those vampire that reside in his area."

"And I assume they all report to — "

"Ready!" Regina appeared in a flash, as was her habit.

She wore a tight fitting white tank top under an old looking gray sweatshirt. Similar to mine, her jeans were worn and tattered with holes, but that was the simply the design. On her feet, were expensive looking basketball shoes. Thought I had never been one to follow sports, then or now, I knew they were basketball shoes due to having seen advertisements on television and they had the words Air Jordans printed on the side. Her make up was simple as was her hair, tied back in a plain ponytail. Even to this day, I find it strange how Regina can turn even rags into stylish clothing for royalty.

Wilhelmina handed me another roll of cash. "Once you have finshed, give him this. He is one of us so there will be no need to guard your tongue."

I pocketed the cash. "Alright, but — "

"I shall finish explaining once you return." Wilhelmina promised.

With Regina, I entered the city for the first time since I first arose a year before. It was exactly as I remembered. Cars horns honked and their drivers shouted obscenities in a jumble of languages, but they were far too loud for my ears. The fragrances in the air were stronger than I could recall, more pungent and complex. I could recoiled at the scent of smog and rotting garbage that threatened to make me gag. The night was at the perfect level of illumination for my eyes, though the endless ocean of faux rainbow light I found too luminous and found myself turning away from them.

"It takes some getting used to." Regina assured me. "Come on, Barnabé hates waiting."

As we walked, I asked. "What did you mean back in the shower about open relationships?"

"Vampires don't have those kind of boundaries." Regina explained. "Live long enough and you'll find sex with the same person eventually gets stale, whether its a year or a century. Since we're basically immortal, cheating isn't exactly a hot issue like it is with humans."

"I guess I didn't consider that." I admitted. "Eternity sleeping with beautiful women . . . that's something to think about."

"And men."

"Maybe for you."

"Give it a century or two. After a while you're gonna start to get curious."

"While I'm willing to admit a guy can look nice, sexy even, that's as far as I'm willing to go."

"If you say so."

"I do say so."

"Whatever."

"I mean it."

"I'm sure you do."

I refrained from speaking the rest the way to a small tailor shop on the corner of Thirty-eight and Eight, the Garment District of the city. It looked to be a simple men's suit shop with mannequins dressed in expensive silk suits in various colors and designs. The name Grégoire's was written in elegant white script over a black background surrounded my dim lights to illuminate the sign itself. We entered an instantly I knew this was not for my lower middle class blood, flowing or not. The floor was covered with high grade wool carpeting with the most beautiful designs of Renaissance Italy. There was the faintest hint of jasmine and cinnamon in the air, so faint I almost failed to notice even with my heightened sense of smell. An I could hear a beautiful voice crooning and singing in what seemed like an older dialect of Italian. Such an older dialect, I caught the occasional Latin verb or word among the sensual lamenting. And, of course, countless suits of varying colors, designs, and material hung in racks along both walls.

A short man, no more than five feet tall, emerged from behind a mannequin. His head lacked hair of any kind, it practically shined as if he had finished polishing his pale white head, though he had a fine kept wire thin mustache and beard. He wore a pair of small circular spectacles over his small brown eyes and tape measure around his collar. His white cotton shirt smelled freshly washed and pressed under an elgant black vest whose buttons sparkled like stars when they caught the light. His black leather shoes were freshly polished and matched his belt that looped through a pair of light brown trousers.

The man bowed dramatically, " _Bonsoir _and _Benvenuti_. I am Barnabé Allard. How may I serve you?"

"Always the actor," Regina seemed pleasantly amused. "Eh, Barnabé?"

"Regina Maison." Barnabé's accent was strange to me as he spoke, as if it was a mixture of french and Italian. "It has been many a year, no?"

"Only five." Regina said.

"And who is this young _signore_?" Barnabé examined me curisouly. "I must say, _mon cher_, you certainly know my tastes."

"My eyes are up here." I said when I noticed his gazed a drifted south somewhat.

Barnabé winked slyly. "I know."

Regina chuckled. "You're wasting your time, Barnabé. Ask him again in a century or two."

"_C'est la vie_" Barnabé smiled wickedly, his fangs slightly extended. "I can wait."

"He needs a suit." Regina motioned to me. "A good one. The sheriff of area three has summoned us."

Barnabé's flicked to the many hanging suits on the walls, "I assume he failed to call too far ahead."

"Tomorrow night." I said.

"_Non mi sorprende_."

Barnabé lead us to the back of the shop where a small platform stood in front of three mirrors. I gazed around and saw an various racks of different color materials as well as an old sew machine and countless boxes of what I assumed to be more material a tailor would use to craft fine clothing. Barnabé had me remove all my clothing, though I thought it was entirely for his benefit, including my underwear. He then began taking measurements, saving my inseam for last.

"Has anyone ever told you that resemble a young vampire Humphrey Bogart?" Barnabé asked he scrawled numbers on a pad. "I'd say all you were mssing was a lit cigarette."

Regina eyed me curiously. "Now that you mention it . . . I can see it."

"Now that _giocatore _had excellent taste." Barnabé smiled fondly.

"You knew Humphrey Bogart?" I asked, still becoming accustomed to vampire's longevity. "The founder of the original Ratpack?"

"I was his personal tailor when I was still human." Barnabé siad proudly. "He spoke so highly of me that I made suits for every one of his friends."

"A vampire tailor?"

"No, no, no, no." Barnabé waved his hand. "I was visiting France and Italy, searching for new designs and see the latest fashions, when I was made. I only returned to America ten years ago and opened this shop, named after my maker, so I could continue my craft."

"How do you run the shop during the day?"

"I've hired some humans to tend to the shop while I rest." Barnabé scratched his chin, deep in thought. "Is there any particular style or color you desire?"

"Leave that to me." Regina held up a section of material. "I was thinking this."

"Don't I get a say?" I asked. "I'm the one wearing it."

"Considering Wilhelmina is borrowing the money from me," Regina said. "No."

Barnabé examined the material. "Midnight black with a slight pinstripe. I have just the design in mind."

I quickly dressed and sat on the platform as Barnabé and sewed at blinding speed. I knew that if Barnabé had not been a vampire and gifted with a vampire amazing speed and reflexes, I might have had to settle for a suit that hung in the main store rather than the bespoke that no doubt I would have spent the next decade paying if I was living my human life.

Regina was amusing herself trying various kinds of hats when I asked. "Who is Ryuu?"

"The sheriff of area three." Regina twirled in front of the mirrors. "He lives in Freeport."

"No I mean, why does he need us?" I asked.

"I'm not sure." Regina looked concerned. "A vampire as old as him doesn't usually ask for help."

"How old?"

"He used to be a samurai." Regina paused to remember. "He was made some time before the Satsuma Rebellion. He still carries around his old sword so does his progeny."

"Satsuma Rebellion." I recalled researching the topic at some point. "It was 1877, I think."

"When we meet him, keep your mouth shut." Regina warned. "Unless he asks you to speak. And when you do, make sure you don't disrepect him. He'll cut off your head if you so much as look at him wrong."

"I'll try to remember that."

Barnabé returned with a full suit hanging from a wire hanger. "Voila!"

Judging from the design and the hat, I saw that Barnabé and Regina had agreed on a more vintage design, Ratpack vintage. The black suit jacket had beautifully tapered sides and minimal shoulder, a sign of excellent tailoring, with very narrow lapels only about an inch wide and white silk handkerchief in the breast pocket. Barnabé had also fashioned a vest from the same material he used to fashion the jacket and trousers. Barnabé had been kind enough to select a white collard shirt and a pair of polished black leather shoes. I quickly donned the new clothes and admired myself in the mirror. Regina selected a tie and belt that matched the suit's dark material.

"As I said," Barnabé walked around to admire his work. "All you're missing is the cigarette."

Regina placed the linen hat on my head, "And this."

Somehow the hat made me realize that Barnabé had correct and I could not resist a smile. "Barnabé, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"That didn't take long." Regina smiled.

I handed the roll of money that Wilhelmina had given me to give to Barnabé, who said. "He said friendship, but I do hope it blossoms into something more, no?"

Much to Regina's protest, I decided to wear the suit out as we walked back to Soho. I never had thought myself as handsome, my lack of girlfriends was quite evident of that, but I noticed that I drew the eye of people strolling by. I assumed it was Regina that been drawing their attention, it is difficult to ignore her at just over seven feet tall and beatuful, but I noted how the women, and the occasional man, smiled shyly at me and my vampire hearing caught they hushed whispers. I was severely tempted to acutely strike up a conversation with one of them, but I stopped myself. If by some miracle I could find the right words and not stutter nervously like one with a mental defect, I could not very well take any of them out. I could not eat, so dinner was out of the question. I could not drink, other than blood and my short time as a bar tender taught a Bloody Mary was simply a misnomer to vampires. And I most certainly could not have sex with them. Granted I could have sex, but that would have surely resulted in thier deaths as I couldn't bring myself to stop once I began to feed. For a human, a simple solution would be not to fed at all, but that is almost impossible for a new vampire unable to control his instincts. In fact feeding and sex are so tightly wound together, it was difficult for vampires in general not to bite a human during sex. My high spirit came down to earth like a meteor and slipped my hands into my trouser pockets, a human habit I retained. To my surprise, I felt two metal objects in either pocket. I continue walking as I produced an aluminum case roughly the size of a wallet and a silver cigarette lighter, not authentic silver as it would have burned my hand. I opened the case and discovered it was a cigarette case with each half holding ten cigarettes with a small metal clip to prevent them from falling out.

Regina cocked her head when she saw the case, "I guess Barnabé really likes you."

"Can we . . ." I held up the items. "Or is it like food and water?"

"We can, but you're not going to feel the way humans do when they smoke." Regina explained. "We don't need to breath after all."

I shrugged as I removed a cigarette and lit it with the lighter, "Not like I have to worry about cancer." I noticed the oddly pleasing scent and taste of tobacco as I slid the case and lighter into my inside jacket pocket. "The smell isn't bothering you is it?"

"Kinda reminds me when I human." Regina chuckled, "Everyone smoked back then."

I puffed, like I had seen my father do for years, and concentrated upon forcing my lungs to expand and contract like they had when I was dependent on them. After several failed attempts, I surrendered and simply allowed the coffin nail, my personal name for them while I had been alive, to stay in my mouth as it burned itself to the filter. I tossed the butt into the street as Regina paused in front of a bar, The Cherry Pit. I am certain that even without my heightened sense of hearing, I would have found the booming deafening noise, that somehow passed for music in clubs, intolerable. But Regina didn't seem perturbed in the slightest. In fact she only seemed unsure whether she should enter or not.

"I'm feeling a little peckish." She looked at me curiously. "You?"

While I did feel famished, I wanted no part in Regina's plan. "No."

She gave me look. "Well, I do." She motioned to the alley across the street. "Wait for me there."

"But — " I began to protest.

Regina became a blur as she entered the club and I stood there as the door clicked shut behind her. I knew Regina was planning on finding a random person, usually a young girl as was her preference, to lure them to the alley where she would drain them and mostly likely killing her victim. As playful and cheerful Regina could appear and act, it was difficult for me to remember she had absolutely no qualms about draining what ever human that caught her fancy and stuffing their body into a dumpster or down a manhole into the sewers. In fact, I seemed to be the odd man out, excuse me, the odd vampire out. I did not share my nest mate's view that humans were cattle to me now. Pathetic creatures to eat and fuck, as Doyle like to put it, at my leisure and whim. But, I assume to due my age, I was the only one that seemed to remember that each and every vampire that shared that view had, at one point or another, had been cattle. I lit another cigarette and continued on my way to the apartment. Simply because I could not stop Regina did not mean I had to bear witness. I also did not trust myself around blood. Granted I could control my instincts much more efficiently than when I had first arisen, but I would be severely tempted once Regina sunk her fangs into the poor human's neck and fill the air with the scent of lusciously decadent blood. There was also the chance, however slim, that Regina would only drink a small amount and allow the unfortunate soul to live once she had glamored him or her.

I entered the apartment to find Adrian with hit feet propped on the coffee table, he only did this when Regina was not home as she could be quite annoyed whenever someone took such liberties, reading an old comic book of mine. When I first started living in the apartment, excuse me became part of the nest, Adrian had questioned me about my collection. I was surprised that he had never read one in all his time, even during their popularity during the second world war, and was quite fascinated with them. So much so that I allowed him permission to help himself to my collection under the condition he took care not to damage them and agreed to purchase them for me since Wilhelmina had forbade me from leaving the apartment.

I sat in an armchair across from him and noticed he had switched from Superman's adventures to the origin of Batman, "Got bored?"

He flipped a page not bothering to look me in the eye. "I found Superman quite unrealistic. No human would be so noble and chivalrous if they were granted such power."

"Not even one?" I asked.

"Perhaps one among a million." he relented as he turned another page. "Now this Batman. Revenge for the death of his family. That is far more believable." I heard Adrian sniff the air. "You did not drink a smoker tonight by any chance?"

I held up the cigarette case. "Barnabé gave them to me. Said I looked like young Humphrey Bogart."

"Oh" Adrian did not bother to see the case I held and turned another page. "Please take to only smoke them outside as the smell is quite repelling to me."

I did have the chance to assure him that I would as I felt the altogether familiar throb that meant Wilhelmina was summoning me, though she could have easily called my name as she was in her room. I reached and entered her room in the blink of a human eye and was puzzled with what I saw. Wilhelmina was there, wearing the same white bathrobe that she had worn when I first arose, but so was sweet little Cindy, the girl I had met when I first tried to escape the apartment. Cindy wore a frilly little pink shirt with cartoon kitten on the chest and blue jeans with little flower designs scattered about. From the blank stare and the lack of reaction to my sudden appearance, I surmised she had been glamored.

Wilhelmina regarded my new clothes critically, "Perhaps I should have instructed Barnabé to decide upon a more modern design, but no matter."

I looked to the glamored Cindy, "Why is she here?"

"Oh, I borrowed her."

"Borrowed her?"

"I merely offered to watch over her while her parents went out for the night. I had procured tickets to a play on Broadway and thought they would find more enjoyment as I find musical desperately cheerful." Her fangs slid out as she smiled at me. "And I did not have time to hunt for you as I normally have done in the past."

"You don't honestly expect me to kill her." I realized that it might better aid the girl's survival if I changed tact. I began spouting reason after reason, hoping she would realize her error and prevented myself from drinking this poor girl dry. "For one thing, she barely has any blood in that small body of hers. Also keep in mind that her parents are expecting her back unharmed. Even if you glamored them to forget, there's the good chance they've mentioned they left her in your care to someone. And there's even a slim chance someone heard you offering through the thin walls."

"You bring up a fair point, several in fact." Wilhelmina did not seem to care in the slightest. "So you best not kill her like you have with the others."

"No problem." I said, not understanding that this was far from over. "She can stay in my room and watch TV until her parents — "

"You will still drink her." She said firmly.

"But — "

"You must learn how to stop mid feeding." Wilhelmina's eyes narrowed. "While I find the way you stubbornly cling to your former humanity most bothersome, it might prove useful." Her next words she made an order. "You will drink her blood."

I then found myself on my knees, fangs protruding and a hair away from the child's innocent neck. I looked up at Wilhelmina, pleading with her to stop. "She's just a kid."

Wilhelmina grew cold and ordered. "Bite!"

I sank my fangs into Cindy's neck and I heard the child grunt slightly at the pain. I felt and tasted her blood as the delectable liquid slowly filled my mouth, my body trembling as I willed and concentrated on not allowing a singl drop to pass down my throat. I knew once that happened, I would not be able to stop myself. It was beginning to become almost impossible and I snarled as my fingernails pricked my palms in my clenched hands.

"Drink." Wilhelmina whispered in my ear.

I grunted my refusal.

"Drink!" She repeated, now making the word an order.

I swallowed.

As I knew I would, I began drinking as I brought the girl closer to my body.

"It is all in the blood." Wilhelmina said. "Feel her heartbeat."

I did, each beat a masterful symphony to my ears as each vibration made my very fangs shiver.

"Once you sense it begin to slow." Wilhelmina instructed. "Once you fail to feel it shake your fangs to their roots . . . cease feeding."

"Hrrw?" I grunted between gulps.

"I find it helpful to concentrate on an image I find repulsive." Wilhelmina said soothingly.

I racked my mind for an image

Just as I felt Cindy's pulse begin to slow I decided on the image of a funeral. Men, women, and children all dressed in black as a priest cried out in latin as the onlookers wailed at their loss. In front of them was a a grand wooden casket decorated with dozens upon dozens of elegant roses of every shade and color with a golden brass trim around the edge.

And upon the casket was photograph.

A photograph of Cindy.

"NO!" I shouted as I tore myself away from the girl.

I fell back on my rear end, my hat tossed off my head from the momentum. There was Cindy, still sitting on the edge of the bed and oblivious to the punture wounds on her small delicate neck, and Wilhelmina with a somewhat curiously impressed look on her face.

"Curious . . ." Wilhelmina whispered. "It is rare for someone so young to cease on their first attempt."

My tongue darted out to catch the droplets of blood around my mouth. "Happy?" I spat.

Wilhelmina ignored me and she lapped the blood on Cindy's neck until it was spotless. She turned to me, "Come here, you are not finished."

I still felt hungry, but I shook my head vehemently. "I'm not sure I can stop again."

"Not for that. As you made clear earlier, it would not be wise to kill her." Wilhelmina said. "You must erase the marks on her neck."

"How?"

"Pierce the skin on a finger with your fangs."

I pricked my right index finger and a little drop of blood formed.

"Now rub your blood into her wound."

I did, squeezing to encourage the floor, and smeared it on the two puncture wounds that had ceased bleeding and had been cleaned by Wilhelmina. To my astonishment, the wounds closed and healed over. If I had not known better, I would have sworn that Cindy had be unharmed.

"Our blood can heal most human wounds and ailments." Wilhelmina explained.

I remembered when Wilhelmina had told me the process for turning a human. "Won't she — "

"You did not drain her completely." She answered. "She will not be turned, merely weak for a day or so." Wilhelmina's flicked to Cindy. "Glamor her."

I stared into Cindy's dull eyes. "Cindy?"

"Huh?" Cindy said groggily.

"When is your bedtime?" I asked gently.

"Mommy always makes go to bed at nine."

I glanced at the clock. "Well, its ten thirty now. That's why you feel so tired."

"Tired?"

"Yes. We also went to the arcade and you played lots of games."

"I like games."

"I know you do, but you have to promise me something."

"What?"

"I want you to have a big glass of orange juice when you get home."

"Orange juice?" Wilhelmina asked.

"Its so she doesn't become anemic and her parents don't take her to a doctor." I returned my gaze to Cindy. "Alright, Cindy?"

"I like juice." said Cindy.

"Good." I said soothingly. "Now sleep. When you wake up your mommy will be here to take you home."

Cindy laid down and was gently snoring within seconds. I carried her to my room and laid her gently on my bed. I draped the blanket over her small sleeping frame and closed the door behind me. I stood there, my hand still on the knob, as an erect statue. Despite my best efforts, I could not accept how close I came to murdering an innocent child.

I felt Wilhelmina behind me. "You are a vampire."

"So you keep reminding me." I responded.

"Then why do concern yourself whether you kill or not?" Wilhelmina asked. "They are no more to you than cattle is to them."

"Is that what they are to you?" I demanded. "Cattle?"

"Yes."

"And that makes us, vampires, better than them, humans?"

"Yes."

"Then tell me," I turned to looker my maker in the eye. "Since you don't need so much blood, why do you insist on killing every single one you feed from? Even humans tend to use the most they can from their livestock so not waste their lives."

Wilhelmina returned to her room with answering me.


	5. Hiding In Plain Sight

"Must you smoke those abhorrent things?" Adrian demanded.

"Sorry." I pocketed the lighter and cigarette case. "I thought it would help with the cravings."

"Cravings?" Doyle chuckled. "Only one cure for that, mate."

"We do not have time to hunt." Wilhelmina checked her watch. "At least we would not if car had arrived when it should have."

Regina said. "I hope you picked a car with legroom. Last time my knees were in my chin."

There we stood on the corner of Broadway and Walker as waited for the car that Wilhelmina had rented. I wore the tailored bespoke suit that I had acquired the previous night, the linen hat on my head and a lit cigarette in my mouth. Both Adrian and Doyle wore similar cloths, but with a bit more color and they did not look as vintage as mine. Doyle wore a pressed red shirt, the top left unbuttoned slightly to display his pale skin and body hair, that he had tucked into a pair of black dress pants. Adrian wore a dark blue shirt, so dark it was nearly as black as mine, with an black striped tie tucked into a pair of tan dress pants. Regina wore ,something I had come to expect was the norm for a biker bar, a white shirt under black leather jacket, neither long enough to cover her navel. She also wore a pair of blue denim jeans and black leather combat boots. Wilhelmina also wore a collared shirt, but lavender in color, and white pants with matching stiletto shoes.

I flicked the butt into the street and was toying the concept of lighting another cigarette, despite Adrian's hatred of the smell, when a black Mercedes pulled up to the curb. Helping my father over the years had taught me a great deal about cars. Just from the outside design, I knew all there was to know about the vehicle. It was a C63 Mercedes AMG Coupe with a six point three liter V-8 Engine that gave the car the power of four-hundred and fifty monstrous horses and capable of reaching sixty miles an hour in under five seconds.

A burly middle aged man stepped out from the driver's side door wearing a chauffeur's uniform and hat. "Wallace? Party of five?"

"You are late." Wilhelmina said flatly. "I specifically instructed for a car to arrive on the corner of Broadway and Walker precisely at twenty thirty. It is now twenty-one hundred."

"What?" asked the chauffeur.

"She means yer were supposed ta be here at eight thirty." Doyle translated lazily. "We need ta meet someone important in Freeport. Someone who don;t like being kept waiting and yer being late ain't exactly in our favor, mate."

"Oh," said the chauffeur. "Sorry about that."

Wilhelmina held out her hand. "The keys."

"I'm sorry, ma'am." he said. "I ain't allowed to let anyone drive this car, but me."

Wilhelmina raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

I quickly stepped in, hopefully saving this unlucky man;s life. "We don't have time to argue."

Wilhelmina eyes flicked to me for a moment. "Very well."

Wilhelmina, Adrian, Doyle, and myself crowded the rear seat while the driver and Regina sat in the front. Not one word was spoken as made our way to the Williamsburg bridge. We drove down Walker Street and made a left onto Centre Street which we stayed on before making a right and continuing onto Kenmare Street where it became Delancy Street. Despite the light traffic, it took just over an hour to cross the Williamsburg. Then again it would have been less if the driver had decided to exceed fifty-five miles an hour. Granted I knew the state speed limit was exactly that, but it seemed to me far more dangerous not to match the speed of the others around us at seventy-five or so. It took close at another hour on the Brooklyn Queens expressway to simply cross the Kosciuszko Bridge.

"Take the next exit." Wilhelmina ordered.

"Calvary Cemetery?" asked the driver.

"Yes."

Wilhelmina had the driver park the car next to the curb of the cemetery. While I had never been to the Cemetery before, I knew it was burial ground for those who had died in the Civil War. I remembered thinking that Wilhelmina and Adrian had probably killed a good portion of the soldiers buried there. Wilhelmina had everyone exit the car including the driver.

"I don't understand." said the driver. "I thought you wanted to go to Freeport. That's still a long aways to go."

Faster than most humans could see, Wilhelmina held the up the unfortunate man by the throat, her fangs out. "Yes! And the sun will rise and set by the time we arrive."

I turned my head as Wilhelmina, Doyle, Adrian, and Regina all sank their fangs into the man's flesh. I heard the man scream behind a hand only to be cut off abruptly by the sound of crunching vertebra when someone broke his neck. Then only the sound of sucking and growling filled the quiet night, only to be interrupted by the sound of cars on the expressway overhead. My fangs had shot out as I caught the scent and tasted the blood in the air. I dug my fingernails into a palm to keep myself from joining in the feeding frenzy. I turned back just as each vampire ripped a limb from the body and diss appeared into the night. I stared at the small puddle of blood where the man had stood. I forced my fangs to retract which was difficult with the metallic scent in the air. I'm not certain what possessed me to do so, but I removed three cigarettes from the case and dipped my finger into the blood. Fighting the urge to lap up the blood like a mongrel dog, I carefully dripped the blood down my finger and into the cigarettes allowing the paper and tobacco to turn a dark crimson as they soaked the blood like a sponge.

I had just finished stowing the case back into my pocket when I heard the rapid footsteps of my nest mates returning from disposing of the unfortunate chauffeur. To my surprise not one of their clothes had a single drop of blood staining them, but their mouths were another issue entirely. Doyle and Adrian licked their lips as if wishing for more while Regina and Wilhelmina used their hands and lapped at the smears like cats. I knew better than to voice my objections to randomly slaying a human, they would fall on deaf ears after all.

Wilhelmina tossed me a set of bloody keys. "You drive."

Another precious hour later we were speeding down the Long Island Expressway as I expertly wove between cars at just over one hundred miles an hour. While this may seem excessive, but even before I was turned I had quite the lead foot. In fact, without setting a single wheel onto a highway I could reach Port Washington from Plainview in just under fifteen minutes. It was pure blind luck that no policemen had ever witnessed me do this very dangerous stunt.

I floored the clutch and shifted into forth gear. "You've been around since before the Crusades and you never learned to drive a car?"

Wilhelmina responded. "You have seen how cumbersome it is for cars in the city, it did not seem wise to me. I have always used taxis or the subway. Plus, I find it . . . unsettling to ride in these contraptions, let alone learn to operate one."

"As do I." said Adrian.

"And you Doyle?" I took exit thirty-one south and merged onto the Cross Island Parkway.

"Oh, I can drive, mate." Doyle folded his arms behind his head. "But as the saying goes, the shit rolls downhill."

"Would that mean you drove before me?" I asked Regina who looked bored in the passenger seat. "You were the youngest before I came along."

Regina chuckled bitterly. "I'm sure if I had a license, they would have revoked it by now."

"Why?"

"When did they stop teaching people to look both ways before crossing the street?" Regina answered.

"I don't see why you're complaining, love." Doyle said nonchalantly. "I thought you liked your meals nice and tender."

I thought it best to change the subject before I learned more things I'd rather Doyle keep to himself. He had already told me about how he slaughtered an entire troop of girl scouts for persistently trying to sell him cookies. "So anything I need to know about this Ryuu?"

"What do you know about samurai?" Wilhelmina asked.

"I know that while the Irish were composing themselves in lion cloths, they were already the most sophisticated and deadliest warriors of the time." I said as matter of factly, I felt I deserved a small victory at Doyle's expense.

"That is a matter of opinion." Wilhelmina said. "But Ryuu expects and deserves respect. Both as a sheriff and an old vampire."

"And I take it he still believes in _Kiri sute gomen_?" I asked.

"Yes." Wilhelmina warned. "So watch your words and only speak if he asks it of you."

"Kiri what?" asked Doyle. "Speak english, mate."

"How are you so familiar with samurai teachings?" Adrian asked.

"I was obsessed with Japanese culture for a while." I admitted. "I was so obsessed I actually taught my history class when we reached the subject in high school." I then merged onto the Southern State Parkway. "_Kiri sute gomen _literally means authorization to cut and leave. Samurai had the right to strike with sword at anyone of a lower class."

As I merged onto the Meadowbrook State Parkway, I asked. "Regina, can you grab my cigarette case?"

She did and opened the case. "Why do these smell like blood?"

"I soaked a few in blood." I explained. "Give me one of the red ones."

"Why would you bother doing that?" Adrian asked.

I chose not to answer as Regina lit my cigarette and placed the case back in my pocket. Surprisingly, it actually curbed my hunger somewhat. Not enough that I had discovered a way to stop feeding altogether, but enough to ignore it for an hour or so. We all fell into silence I as I took exit for Sunrise Highway (HA!) and made a left onto Main Street. Once off the highway, Wilhelmina began giving me directions as I drove through the town of Freeport. I was somewhat familiar with the streets as my family and I often visited the town once every year for Good Friday and Freeport had an excellent selection of fish.

"Pull into the parking lot." Wilhelmina ordered. "Yojimbo's"

Yojimbo's was a Japanese karaoke bar with a large parking lot. It looked no different than any of the other bars and restaurants that we had passed along the streets. It was painted bone white with the entrance made to look like the entrance of an ancient Japanese temple with pillars and kanji characters. The name was written in bright red flowing script neon that flashed every few seconds. There were no windows, so I could not see how many patrons were in the bar, but I could hear music and feel the pulsing vibrations. I also notice that despite it was a Saturday night, the parking lot was unusually uncrowded. With the exception of our rented Mercedes, there were about twelve black luxury cars ranging from Mercedes to Lincolns.

I flicked the cigarette butt onto the floor as everyone exited the car. "I'm staying here." I announced.

"Ryuu summoned our entire nest." Wilhelmina reminded me. "He will consider it a great insult."

"Which is worse?" I asked. "Insulting Ryuu or someone discovering the existence of vampires?"

"What kind of blarney is that?" Doyle demanded. "The second one."

"Then I'm staying here." I repeated.

"Why?" Wilhelmina demanded.

"I used to work here." I told her. "I was actually on my way back from here when we met. Its been a year, but there's a chance someone might reconize me."

"So you'll glamor the Brown Trout." Doyle said simply.

"And if I can't do that to everyone?" I asked.

"Kill them." Adria said as if was a simple solution, though to a vampire it was.

"I think Ryuu wouldn't like it if I had to kill a good portion of his staff." I said tactfully, not wanting to enlighten them to my unvampiric humanity.

"He only employs his progeny and other vampires to work during the night." Wilhelmina explained. "He makes certain that all humans, other than the patrons, leave as our kind enter."

I exited the car and pocketed the keys. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you."

We entered the bar and everyone one of our senses were assaulted. The air was filled thick with the smell of alcohol, lust, and what I could best describe as a mixture of animals. The lights were a little too illuminating for my photosensitive eyes and the seizure inducing flashes over the small dance floor was not helping to remedy that. At least the music was tolerable, if a little too loud. While I had a tended to favor music from Regina's time, the 1960's or so, I still enjoyed modern music to en extent, even the occasional hip hop or rap song. The song currently blasting and shaking the floor as mixture of men and women, dressed in clothes that seemed a little tight to allow sufficient blood flow, was an old favorite of mine.

_Sicker than your average Poppa_

_Twist cabbage off instinct niggas don't think shit stink_

_pink gators, my Detroit players_

_Timbs for my hooligans in Brooklyn_

_Dead right, if they head right, Biggie there every night_

_Poppa been smooth since days of Underroos_

_Never lose, never choose to, bruise crews who_

_do something to us, talk go through us_

_Girls walk to us, wanna do us, screw us_

_Who us? Yeah, Poppa and Puff_

_Close like Starsky and Hutch, stick the clutch_

_Dare I squeeze three at your cherry M-3_

Wilhelmina lead us past the dance floor and I swore several of the dancers eyed us cautiously as if they knew or suspect what we were. Though not all of them seemed hostile, in fact many of the women admire and winked Adrian and Doyle while the men admired Wilhelmina and Regina. I suppose that some were admiring me as well, but I doubted it. We all sat at a table and I gazed around and marveled how little my former place of employment had changed. There was stocky man about twenty- five or so wiping the same wooden bar in front of him. It was the same bar that I had stood behind with countless bottle of many different sizes and contents. The occasional patron would approach the bar and order a drink, but it was bare for the most part. The tables, chairs, and bar stool were all made of the same stained wood that was painted to look like authentic bamboo and rice paper lanterns provided the bar with dim, for human eyes, lighting.

A waitress approached our table with a pad ready. She was clearly Asian, Japanese I was willing to bet. While many found it difficult to place where exactly a person of Asian descent hailed from, I never suffered from that. Although I had made my fair sh are of mistakes and learned it was best simply for the person to give me a name, names were far easier to place than faces to me. I saw that the uniform had not changed in the past year. She wore a white T-shirt decorated with pink cherry blossoms and Yojimbo's written on the left breast in both english and Kanji. Her black hair was tied back in plain ponytail and she had very pale skin.

So pale, she could have passed for a . . .

She extended her fangs. "_Kangei_! Are you Wilhelmina?"

Wilhelmina nodded, "_Hai_."

Her eyes flicked to me, "I was told to expect four."

"I was instructed to arrive with my entire nest." said Wilhelmina. "Will you lead us to your master?"

"I shall." The waitress inclined her head. "Follow me please."

We all rose from the table as the waitress lead us to a booth. It was located in the far corner exactly opposite the entrance and away from the pulsing music and flashing lights. This part of the bar was devoid of any all patrons I noticed as we walked to the booth that had two young dressed Asian men on either side. I assumed these were Ryuu's guards. As to why a vampire made in the 1870's required protection, I thought they were more to declare his title and power rather than for actual protection.

The waitress bowed deeply, "_Anata no gesuto, Ryuū-sama_."

A deep voice responded gently, but unyielding. "_Anata no posuto ni modoru_."

The waitress bowed deeply once more and quickly left.

When one says samurai, I assume near everyone would imagine the same image. An Asian man with a permanent scowl wearing a long robe called a kimono with his signature katana at his waist. Or perhaps fully clad in his ō-yoroi armor and armed to the teeth with his Yumi bow and Yari spear, but not Ryuu. The man that sat at the booth, impassively examining each of us, was Asian, but that was the only expectation that he met. Rather than the complicated knot I had seen in countless films and books, Ryuu had his long black hair tied back in a plain ponytail. He wore a plain white T-shirt with a breast pocket tucked into a pair of tan khakis. The only indication this man had been a samurai, was the cross shaped scar on his left cheek and three and half foot katana at his side resting on the seat like it was a person.

Ryuu's inclined his head slightly to Wilhelmina. He may be a sheriff, but Wilhelmina was his elder. "It is good to see you again, old friend."

Wilhelmina reciprocated, but made sure to bow lower. "It is."

"I see your nest has gained a new member since we last spoke." Ryuu examined my suit. "An acquaintance of Regina, perhaps?"

"He is my progeny." Wilhelmina explained.

"_Sore wa Ryuū-sama, meiyona kotodesu_." I took a step forward and bowed as I removed my hat and introduced myself. "_Watashinonamaeha Dominick_."

"_Anata ga nihongo o hanasu." _responded the samurai.

I stood from my bow and said in English. "That is about the extent of it I'm afraid."

Ryuu motioned for to join him and dismissed his guards. As the eldest of our nest, Wilhelmina sat at Ryuu's right while Adrian sat to his left as the second oldest. Doyle silently, very unlike him, sat next to Wilhelmina and Regina took her place by Adrian. As the youngest and dead last (heh) in age, I was forced to take a seat from a nearby table and sat directly across from the sheriff. I listened as Ryuu began to explain why he had summoned us. Adrian and Wilhelmina would ask the rare question, their age allowed them to interrupt the proud samurai, but kept quiet for the most part. Doyle, Regina, and myself all kept still and quiet as statues. Had we all been human, there would be a fair amount of scratching, looking around, and sipping of drinks. But vampires do not feel the need to justify our existence with frivolous movement. We can be as still and unmoving as plain corpses, until we found a reason to move.

"I have been having difficulties with a local pack of werewolves." Ryuu said bitterly. "They approached me with a business proposition. While the rest of packs keep to themselves as do we, these do not share that way of thinking. They support themselves through the sales of illegal drugs, ecstasy and cocaine mostly though they dabble in crack and meth. I was to receive to a fair percentage of the profits for allowing to use this and the other bars and clubs I own for distribution."

"You refused." Wilhelmina concluded.

"Yes." Ryuu said simply. "While the increased revenue would be more than welcome, I found it was not worth the risk. Sooner or later, there would be arrests and investigations." Ryuu sounded quite irritated. "I explained my refusal without hostility and with respect, more than those lowly creatures deserve, and they took affront."

"I would assume they have taken to sabotaging your sources of income as you have sabotaged theirs." Adrian said politely. "From their standing, at least."

"I expected that." Ryuu admitted. "But I foolishly expected them to act more subtle. They began simply vandalizing my property, but it soon began to escalate. They have already torched three of my most lucrative clubs which resulted in the death of three of our kind each." Ryuu grew far colder. "We have been trading blows for over two months now, but they greatly out number us and are able to spread themselves farther than we can."

"What of the king?" asked Wilhelmina.

So I had been right.

Wilhelmina had explained that each state is divided into areas, each with a sheriff commanding over the vampires in his or her area. As the Romans used to say, _Quis custodiet ipsos custodes_. While the vampires of the areas were subservient to the sheriffs, the sheriffs were subservient to someone as well. I assumed that since each state was divided into areas, there must be a vampire that ruled over each state like a monarch which Wilhelmina had more or less confirmed. That could mean there was currently at least fifty kings or queens ruling over the entire country and the human citizens were none the wiser.

Ryuu grew even colder. "As long as his yearly taxes do not fall too much and we avoid detection, he cares little for the affairs of his kingdom."

"And what of the other sheriffs?" Adrian asked.

"There is little they can do to aid." Ryuu explained. "By the king's decree each vampire business no matter how small or grand must pay fifty percent of their profits. Twenty-five percent goes to my coffers so I have necessary funds should problems arise while the rest the king collects for his own personal wealth." Ryuu clasped his hands together. "This is quite a high tax compared to other kingdoms that most of our kind do not stay. So none of the other sheriffs can spare more than a small nest or two."

"Werewolves have always outnumbered our kind." Adrian said thoughtfully. "But it is doubly so in this case."

"Ya can always take out the packmaster." suggested Doyle. "Then they'll be running around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off."

Adrian and Wilhelmina flashed warningly for speaking out of turn, but Ryuu said. "That was the same conclusion I came to, but it is not so simple. A werewolf he may be, but he is as cunning as a fox. He knows they outnumber us ten to one. When he destroyed those clubs, it was done simultaneously. He also aware of weaknesses. During the night he stays in one of three dwelling, each with ample guards, and unable to ascertain which of the three. He moves daily so by the time we rise to mount and attack we have no way of knowing which dwelling he has moved to or even if he has moved at all."

That was most certainly a problem. Vampires cannot enter a mortal's home without an invitation. And if some miracle Ryuu's forces gained entry, it would take single werewolf to rescind the invitation and Ryuu's forces would find themselves standing on the lawn as taunts and jeers were thrown their way. Each rule had loophole I had learned in life, it was a simple matter of finding exactly what it was and how to exploit it. I found myself curious of the possibilities at how ironclad these restrictions were. If an invitation were given, could it be revoked if everyone was unable to speak? Would the vampires be forced to leave if they had failed to hear that invitation had been revoked? Did an invitation have to be spelled out? Or could something as simple as a sign hanging in the window or a cry for help be enough?

My thoughts must have shown on my face because Ryuu asked. "I see a thought on your tongue. Do you have a solution we have yet to discover."

Wilhelmina said before I could politely refuse. "He is an infant, Ryuu-sama."

"Hardly more than a year old." Adrian added hasitly. "He still finds it distasteful to kill humans."

"Alexander the Great became king of Macedonia at age twenty and went on to become one of the greatest generals of all time, even among our kind. As the humans say, age ain't nothing but a number." Ryuu motioned to me. "Speak."

I began to refuse. "I don't think — "

"Speak!" Wilhelmina ordered sharply.

"Buy the house!" I said instantly.

"Come again?" asked Ryuu.

"Dose a vampire need an invitation to enter another vampire's home?" Based on the answer, I had a theory or two that might work.

Ryuu paused for a moment. "If that were to be possible, what would you recommend?"

I reasoned. "I suggest buying all three to avoid picking the wrong house." I was deep in thought as the words flew from my mouth. "Since he knows he outnumbers you, he won't expect an attack."

"And the guards?" asked Ryuu. "We can only mount an attack on a single dwelling. If we pick the wrong home, it could mean defeat."

"Are they all evenly protected?"

"No. One home is always more protected than the others. In fact, one sometimes seems to have as little as five wolves patrolling."

"He'll be in that one." I said firmly.

"How can you be sure?"

"He's making no effort to hide it from you." I told him. "He'll be expecting you to attack his most guarded house since anyone would assume he'll be where he is best protected." I found myself giddy with excitement. "It serves as a distraction from him and if you do attack, you'll suffer heavy losses with nothing to show for it."

"I had not considered that." Ryuu whispered thoughtfully.

I nodded. "Once they leave, you rent out the houses and make a nice profit."

Everyone stared in utter astonishment. I tell you that had I been human, the sight of five vampires staring unblinkingly at me would have had be screaming in sheer terror.

Doyle was, of course, the first to break the silence. "Willy, where exactly did you find Peaches here?"

Ryuu seemed taken aback. "Peaches?"

"Its Doyle's little nickname for him." Regina said gently.

"But he dose have an excellent point." The sheriff locked eyes with me and demanded gently. "What was your occupation while you were still human?"

"Here." i said simply.

"Here?" Ryuu repeated.

"You didn't hire me personally, but I was your daytime bartender." I explained. "We never met, but Wilhelmina said your human staff are kept separate from your . . . night staff."

"I do recall ordering a replacement for a Dominic sometime ago, but I did not give it much thought." Ryuu waved his hand dismissively. "You may go."

"Go?"

"Yes." Ryuu gave me a curt nod. "You have given me much to ponder. Go and enjoy yourself, but do not draw attention to yourself."

I stood, not daring to argue, and bowed deeply as the waitress had done. "_Sore wa meiyo, Ryū-sama__, __de__shita__._"

I did feel the need to dance so I simply made my way back to the bar. The stocky man was still stood where he had been when we had first entered. polishing an empty beer mug as he undressed two girls that strutted back to the dance floor with martini glasses. He wore the same uniform I had worn the previous year, though I'd hardly called it a uniform. He wore a the same Yojimbo's T-shirt as the waitress, but it the color was night black which made the hot pink cherry blossoms stand out that much more. Like I had, he wore plain blue jeans and sneakers.

He gave me a polite smile, "What can I getcha?"

While I had no intention of drinking, though I was hungry, I returned the smile. "Walker on the rocks."

"Coming right up." he said.

I sat and removed a blood soaked cigarette from my case. I had no intention of drinking, but Ryuu had ordered not to draw attention. As a former bartender I can tell you that person my age sits at a bar and dose not order a drink, even plain soda, tends to be noticed. I lit the cigarette and pocketed the lighter and case as the bartender placed a glass with ice and Johnny Walker Whiskey in front me.

"Walker on the rocks." He then placed an ashtray next to the glass. "Anything else? The kitchen is closing, but if want something small . . ."

"No thanks." I deposited some fresh ashes in the tray and handed him a twenty dollar bill. "Keep the change."

I pretended to drink as I considered what I had just done. Ryuu had not said if my plan of attack was possible, but I had the sinking feeling that I indirectly ended the lives of an entire werewolf pack. I tried to console myself with the facts. They were ruthless drug dealers that had started the feud and had killed nine vampires already. I was sure that Ryuu could have reported their actions to the authorities, but I had no doubt that it would ended with the deaths or disappearances of a large number of police officers for simply doing their jobs. I could not decide how I felt as it was a grey area. Yes, the werewolves had began the violence, but I knew that Ryuu would simply kill the guilty ones. The whole pack was guilty as far as he was concerned and that mostly likely included the deaths of the women and children. Ryuu would not spare them, I knew that, because he did not want to deal with rabid werewolves bent on revenge.

I heard a slightly accented female voice behind me. "Is there something wrong with your drink?"

"No." I said gently as I turned. "I'm just not that much of a . . . "

I froze when I recognized the woman.

The night I had met Wilhelmina, I had just finished half of the night shift because regular bartender had called in to say he would be running late. Since it tended to be quite busy on weekends, there was always two bartenders so not to one ragged. I had seen her only a few times in passing as I worked the day shift, but I officially met her on my last night. Her name was Kimberly Jukodo. Her black hair stuck up and out in exaggerated pigtails held up by Hello Kitty clips. She wore the same Yojimbo's t-shirt the staff wore, though she had chose to reveal her pale white legs with a short skirt instead of pants. I had found her cute, in a young school girl sort of way. On the night we worked together she seemed to act like typical Japanese school girl, acting shy and coy as men flirted with her, that felt forced to me, as if it was all an act. I had been tempted to ask her out, but I refrained. Not only was I unfamiliar with approaching women, or people for that matter, but I noticed she only flirted back with the women. There was however something that I had failed to notice that night. Or rather, I did not think possible at the time.

Kimberly was a vampire.

There was no denying it. Not only did she have the faint glow that most humans fail to notice, but her scent was a dead give away, literally. Like humans, vampire have their own scent, but we all lack the scent of sweat and pheromones. If you were a vampire and met a person who, regardless of what other scents you caught, did not smell the slightest bit of sweat or pheromones, then you two had at least one thing in common.

" . . . drinker." I finished.

She leaned close, our noses nearly touching, and stared into my eyes. "Dominick?"

I smiled coyly and displayed my fangs for a moment and retracting them. "I hope the year wasn't too busy withouth me, Kim."

Her gaze flicked to where Ryuu and other sat before returning to me. "Who?"

I knew what she was asking. "Wilhelmina." I shook ashes into the tray. "The redhead."

"When?"

"1305." I told her. "Her brother was William Wallace."

"I meant you."

"Oh, a little over a year now in the city" I pretended to sip my whiskey. "I gave her a ride the night we worked together and she invited me to a party she was throwing. You?"

"1942." Kimberly's face grew cold. "I met Ryuu when my family was relocated to the Minidoka War Relocation Center in Jerome County, Idaho."

"The Japanese interment camps during World War II?" I asked to be certain.

"Yes." Kimberly gave me a curt nod. "After six months, my family had enough and tried to escape." Her gaze flicked to Ryuu once more. "I was the only one to get away and Ryuu found me near death in the desert as I tried to look for water."

"And he turned you." I concluded.

"Yes." Kimberly smiled slightly as she recalled. "It worked out quite well. After three days, I rose from the shallow grave and we sated our hunger with camp's guards and some unfortunate refugees that caught sight of us. We caused enough confusion for several hundred refugees to escape, including my family."

"Couldn't have you just glamored them?" I asked.

"I suppose Ryuu could have." Kimberly smiled wickedly."But we were having too much fun."

"I can imagine." I said trying to sound ambiguous.

"Oh it was." She purred. "Every inch of us covered in blood as we made love and laughed as they begged for mercy." Kimberly shivered with delight and her fang shot out at her arousal. "Just thinking about it makes me hungry."

I handed her my last blood soaked cigarette. "Here."

She retracted her fangs and stared at it. "What is that?"

I stamped out my cigarette in the tray. "Its a cigarette." I turned so she could see its color. "I soaked it in blood. It helps with the craving. For a little while at least."

She took it and I lit it for her. "Mmhm." She looked somewhat impressed as she blew out smoke. "Still the little inventor."

She was referring to my time as a bartender. During the slow hours of the day, I experimented with different cocktails. It was how I invented the CEM Mojito as I sifted through my bar tending guide. While some failed utterly, others became so popular they were added to the bar's menu. One them had been what I called a Shirley Tini, which was my take on an alcoholic Shirley Temple. It was simply cherry Grenadine with a splash of gin and vodka served in a martini glass and garnished with maraschino cherries through a toothpick. Another, and more popular of my inventions, was the Arnold Palmer. If you enjoy ice tea from the Arizona company then you understand where the name come from. It was a fairly strong since it involved mixing lemon vodka and either Grand Marnier or Grand Gala with fresh brewed ice tea and garnished with a lemon slice.

"This your meal for the night?" asked a voice to my left.

I turned to see a small collection of vampires.

They were all dressed for a night of clubbing and dancing, though I think they'd had some literal clubbing for the night as well. All the men, six of them, were Asian with hair styles ranging from shaved to ponytails. Each of them had their arms on the waist of an attractive a dark skinned female vampire. I had wondered, offhandedly, how exactly a person of african decent would appear once turned, now I knew.

The bald vampire, he looked to be in his mid twenties, cocked his head slightly. "Oh, you're one of us." He looked to Kimberly. "New nestmate?"

"No." I said.

"You're late, Andrew." Kimberly said flatly.

"What can I say?" Andrew cocked his head to the black female with small Afro. "We stopped for a bite."

Kimberly seemed to perk up at his words. "Then you won't mind if I . . . have a taste?"

"Go on." Andrew's gaze flicked to me. "Just make sure he knows she's mine."

Without waiting for a response, Andrew and the rest of his nest disassembled. Andrew and his mate sat as table near Ryuu and began speaking with each other while others spoke with the guards Ryuu dismissed earlier. The rest migrated to the dance floor and began dancing quite sensually which was received with great pleasure from both men and women. I turned to ask what Andrew meant when Kimberly placed a plastic sign on the bar that read, _**SUMIMASEN **_**FOR THE INCONVENIENCE, BE RIGHT BACK.**

"Follow me." she said and walked to the back.

I glanced back at Wilhelmina, still in deep conversation with the sheriff of Area Three, before standing and followed. Kimberly lead through the empty kitchen to a door that sat between the fire exit and the broom closet. I found it strange that I never noticed the door before. I was certain that I could not have forgotten something like a room. The color of the door or the walls in the room, but not the room's very existence.

"Was this always here?" I asked.

"Yes." Kimberly retrieve a set keys from a pocket. "But all of our human staff is glamored to not see the door."

"And that included me." I said.

"Exactly." Kimberly opened the door that revealed a set of stair leading underground. "Its where we keep our pets."

I locked the door behind us and lights came as we walked down a narrow corridor. If I was expecting a damp dark stone corridor, I would have been incorrect. The walls were painted white and the thin carpet muffled our footsteps. I also noticed we strode past bedrooms. I knew they were bedrooms because many of the door were left ajar and allowed me to see each room had a queen size bed with cheap sheets and a chair or two.

"What did you mean, 'where we keep our pets'?" I asked as we walked.

"Your maker didn't tell you?" Kimberly sounded curious. "Our kind sometimes keep humans around for blood and sex. Most of them are at our nest now, but I like to have a snack every now and then so I bring mine with me." She grew serious. "So when Andrew said that she's his, that means no one can feed from his human unless he gives permission. If you do, he has the right to kill you without question."

"You do know slavery was abolished in 1865." I told her.

"Is it slavery if the said slave is willing?" she countered.

"Willing?" I eyed her curious, certain she was jesting.

"As it turns out, humans find sex with our kind quite addicting." She explained. "So much so that they do not try to escape."

"I doubt you would let them if they wanted." I said flatly.

"True, but it makes things easier not having to watch and separate them should they form a plan to escape."

We reached the end of the corridor and Kimberly opened the door. There were three young humans sitting around a coffee table playing cards. A man that looked barely eighteen sipped from a glass filled with soda. He was beautiful as was his tanned Olympian grade body with ripping muscles I envied when I had been human. He was not shirtless, but the black tank top seemed pointless for the all cover it provided as did the torn jean shorts and sandals. To the man's right was a young girl with her honey blond hair that ended just above her slender shoulders. She was perhaps just slightly older than the man, wearing a lavender sundress, matching pumps, and little gold earrings. She was not strikingly beautiful like the man, but she was cute in a shy unconfident sort of way. Across from the honey blond was a black girl roughly the same age. While the blond seemed coy, she oozed confidence. She was mouthwatering and she knew it. Her hair was cropped short with bangs covering her forehead partially. She wore a blood red shirt that looked more like a vest which displayed her pierced navel and her smooth ebony skin. Her make up was slight, but perfect.

The man threw down his hand and began collecting the small mountain of chips. "Full house! Read 'em and weep."

The black girl turned to us as she shuffled the deck and flashed a dazzling smile of perfect white teeth. "Kimberly! Back so soon? Ryuu gave you the night off?"

Kimberly smiled slyly. "Its a slow night, Tasha."

Tasha smiled suggestively, "My favorite kind." She looked to me. "Who's your cute friend?"

"I was hoping you could _entertain _him." Kimberly winked.

Tasha took me in and she bit her lip as if she was tempted, "But what about you, Kim? I'd hate for you to feel lonely or do you just wanna watch?"

Kimberly was smiling voluptuously at the honey blonde, holding a slim finger under her chin. "Oh, little Susan here can keep me company."

Susan looked adorable as she stared at Kimberly with tantalizing eyes. "But Andrew . . ."

Kimberly placed a finger on her lips and whispered gently. "Oh, he said it was okay just this once."

Susan looked away embarrassed as her cheeks flushed red. "I . . . um . . . uh . . ."

Kimberly silenced her innocent stammering with a quick peck on her lips. "Relax. Tasha can tell you, you're in for a treat."

Susan looked unsure and yet excited as she whispered, "O-okay."

Kimberly looked to me. "Tasha is mine, but you have permission while Susan and I have a little fun."

Kimberly lead Susan to a room down the corridor while Tasha and I took the once directly across of from it. Tasha closed the door behind me and she slipped my suit jacket and hat before draping them on a chair in the corner. She yanked me close by my tie and kissed me roughly. I was half a second away from letting my primal urges taking over when a thought crossed my mind, one of consent.

I pulled away and stared into Tasha's eyes as I accessed my glamor. "Tasha, can I ask you something?"

"W-what is it, baby?" she asked as she stared lazily into my eyes.

"Do you really want to do this or are you just scared of what Kimberly might do if you don't?"

"No." she said. "I want to."

"Really?"

"I'm not a big fan of the biting, but its worth it for amazing sex you guys have."

"Aren't you scared?"

"I was, but not anymore." Tasha paused but then asked. "Don't you want to?"

I dropped the glamor. Kimberly had not exaggerated about humans becoming addicted to vampiric sex. At least this girl was willing and had not beem glamored, otherwise I would have to consider how much consent actually came from Tasha.

I extended my fangs. "I do."

* * *

_**A/N** - I'm thinking of adding a 'Bubba' character. So far, its a toss u between Tupac and Biggie, but I'm open to suggestions. Let me know who would you'd consider the Elvis of the north._


	6. Heart In The Right Place

I was standing in the doorway of the room, adjusting the collar of my shirt when Tasha kissed my cheek. "That was amazing, baby."

I forced a smile. "Turn your head for me."

"A quick snack?" She turned her head.

"No." I pricked a finger with my fangs and dabbed the punctures on her neck. "Don't want people getting any ideas."

The door across from me opened and out stepped out Susan, sweat glistening on her brow and with a weary euphoric smile on her tired face, quickly followed by Kimberly. Kimberly ran her fingers through her hair, now free of the clips and tumbling just past her shoulders.

Kimberly handed Susan a pair of black panties. "You forgot these."

Susan looked to me and quickly snatched the underwear from Kimberly's hand. She bent to put them on when I noticed a trickle of blood running down her knee. I assumed Kimberly had bitten her neck, like I had with Tasha, and healed the wounds, but I forgotten that the humans had more than one major artery and Kimberly opted for Susan's femoral in her left inner thigh. I licked my lips at the sight of it.

"Hold on." I bent down on one knee.

"What are you do - Oh!" Susan yelped as she felt my tongue on her thigh.

"Waste not, want not." I said as I left her thigh spotless and pricked my finger once again to heal her thigh. "Can't have you bleeding out."

Susan muttered an embarrassed thank you and hurried to help Tasha as she stumbled on her way back to the room where she and Susan had been playing cards. I hoped I had simply been too rough with her, in my defense she had asked for it, but I had the nagging thought that I might have taken too much blood. That might cause her to become anemic and I doubted the vampires of Ryuu's nest, or Kimberly for that matter, would be concerned enough to take to her to be treated.

"I don't suppose you keep blood around for transfusions down here?" I asked. "I forgot to tell you that I need more blood than she's probably used to losing."

"Cute." Kimberly chuckled. "You actually care about them."

I thought better to hide my concern and shrugged. "If you want to go through th trouble of finding another willing human, be my guest."

"I guess you're right." Kimberly rolled her eyes. "With these damn werewolves hounding us, those without humans are forced to hunt in shifts." Kimberly called out to Tasha who returned happily, but tired.

"Hey, sweetie." Tasha smiled wearily. "You're gonna have to give me a minute. Then I'll rock your world."

Kimberly extended her fangs, casually bit into her wrist, and offered her wrist to her. "Drink."

I watched as Tasha drank, with great gusto, from Kimberly's bleeding wrist. After a moment, Kimberly pulled her wrist away from her human's mouth and had Tasha return rejoin Susan and the man whose name I had yet to learn. I noticed that once Tasha finished drinking, she did not stumble or limp as she had just moments ago. Then I remembered that our blood can heal humans, but I was unaware that they could drink it as well instead of just smearing it on a wound.

"Don't get any ideas." Kimberly warned. "She's mine."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You mean Wilhelmina didn't tell you?" Kimberly explained. "When a human drinks from us, it bonds them to one another. We can sense their general mood and know when they are near us."

"Wilhelmina only tells me something when it comes up." I told her. "She only told me our blood heals. She didn't bother explaining how or the side effects. For the most part she just lets me figure things out for myself."

"She must be testing you." Kimberly concluded.

"Testing me?"

"It's an old way of raising young vampires. Their maker teaches their progeny the basics and lets them learn the rest on their own."

"The whole survival of the fittest bit." I realized. "Only strongest and smartest survive long enough to procreate."

"Exactly."

"Alright, since it might help me later on. Care to explain what exactly the side effects are?"

"Vampire blood is different from human blood and is what gives vampires their abilities, such as our rapid healing." Kimberly paused as if to organize her thoughts. "If vampire blood is taken by a human in a small dose, no more than one or two drops., it is highly addictive. It heightens the senses, increases strength, and sexual pleasure. However, if taken in a large dose, it causes different effects, such as healing someone who has injuries, even if they are close to death. If taken in a large dose when there is no injury on the human, then they will have an extremely increased libido, heightened strength for several days after consumption, and feel unwell."

"And I take it these are a well kept secret?" I asked. "For the healing properties of our blood at least."

"Yes." Kimberly confirmed. "Our kind would be hunted for our blood to heal people, which would mostly likely result in the deaths of many of our kind."

"I wonder," I said thoughtfully. "If werewolves know that?"

"Why would it matter?"

"Because they don't need to sleep during the day or an invitation to enter." I reasoned. "It'd be simple to follow and hold Ryuu hostage. Then they force his progeny to sell their blood." Another thought came to me. "Or they could just continue torching Ryuu's businesses until he is left with no other choices but to accept their original terms and add vampire blood for compensation for all the pack members that have died in the struggle."

"Ryuu would rather die than to submit to a bunch of _zasshuken_!" Kimberly said, daring me to argue.

"Ryuu knows that, you know that, and now I know that." I said politely so not to have Kimberly rip my head off. "But I doubt the werewolves know that. They figure everyman, and vampire, has a breaking point. It's just a matter of time before they reach Ryuu's."

"They'll beg for de— "

Kimberly whipped to her head down the corridor and back to bar, as did I. I knew why Kimberly had stopped mid sentence to turn because the same was happening to me.

Ryuu was summoning her.

And Wilhelmina was summoning me.

We both ran for the door, Kimberly easily pulled ahead of me and threw the door open so quickly it was if it had opened on its own accord. I reached her side seconds later and froze at the chaos unfurling in the bar as we stood in the doorway leading back to the kitchen. I could not comprehend what I saw and yet one thing fell into place.

"I was wondering why I smelt animals when I walked in." I said.

It was if an animal transport truck had decided all the occupants needed a drink, even if some of them were quite ornery. I saw lynxes and bobcats in various sizes and colors as they pounced on one of the black female vampires that had entered with Andrew. Andrew himself was occupied sending jackal after jackal flying across the room as they tried to subdue him by sheer numbers. That seemed to be plan of attack as I saw each and every vampire in the bar was grappling with up to five animals at a single time. The jackals were not the only canine animal trying to tear the nearest vampire to pieces. Andrew's mate broke a chair over a hyena before another tackled her to the floor. Then I caught sight of Ryuu and my nest mates as they fought wolves.

"Werewolves!" I hissed, my fangs shot out in the blink of an eye.

"And shifters!" Kimberly hissed as her fangs came out.

"What are — " I began to ask.

Something large and heavy collided with me and sent me to the floor. I looked up to see a naked man with long hair and wolf tattoos on his massive forearms. His eyes were most definitely not human as they glowed a bright gold and his scent was the farthest thing from pleasant. Worst of all, he held the broken half of leg of chair in his hand, a stake.

He brought the stake high to drive through my heart, "Die you vampire fuck!"

Kimberly materialized behind him and gripped either side of his head. She did not snap his neck, but ripped his head clear off his body. Blood erupted like a fountain, showering Kimberly and I. The second the blood showered me, I was hungry again and was aching for a fight. I licked my lips and shivered in delight at the warmth and taste.

Kimberly's tongue swirled around her mouth and she licked her palm before smiling down at me. "Having fun?"

I threw the body, still spurting blood onto the floor and air, off of mine and stood up. Before I could form an answer, something hairy leapt over the bar and tackled Kimberly to the floor next to me. It was when I looked down as Kimberly rolled with it they exchanged bites that I saw it was a very large wolf. With no hesitation, I kicked the wolf off of Kimberly and sent it crashing into the glass shelf that held countless bottle of liquor. Both the shelf and several bottles shattered. Just as the wolf began to stand and shake off the daze of my blow, Kimberly picked up the neck of broken bottle and stabbed the animal through its eye with mad laugh and wicked smile on her face. Before my eyes, the wolf became a young teenage hardly older than myself. Confused, I looked around and saw that each time a vampire killed wolf or some other animal, it would become a naked human.

"Here!" shouted Kimberly.

I turned and caught a knife hardly more than twelve inches. "What's this for?"

"_Shinseiji_." She rolled her eyes and equipped herself with a short sword similar to Ryuu's from under the bar. "Just watch the edge. Its coated in silver."

Before I could ask more questions, Kimberly became blur as she raced to her master's side as several wolves and animals lost limbs and lives to her blade. I felt another throb as Wilhelmina summoned me again. Like Kimberly, I raced to her side though I did not leave such massive trail of bodies and carnage in my wake like she had. Wilhelmina and my nest were surrounded by bleeding bodies and limbs. Regina swung a wooden bat and the wolves did realize it was not wise to leap into the air to pounce. The way she wielded the bat, I think Regina would have made a fine baseball player in another life. Adrian had armed himself with a hunting knife that I assumed he recovered from a body. Doyle forgoed weapons of any kind and sought to imitate Andrew using only his bare hands. Though Doyle seemed to be finding much more enjoyment from the chaos and carnage than Andrew. Doyle must have gotten into many a bar fight in his human life and his skill had not suffered. He was so at home among the violence he smiled and hummed to himself as he fought.

As Doyle plucked a wolf mid-air and sank his fangs into its throat, I saw a wolf shift back into a stocky man with the same wolf tattoos as the man who nearly staked me. He plucked a broken shard of wood from the floor that was becoming slick with blood. He creeped close and raised the impromptu stake behind Doyle. From his point of view, I'm sure it was if I simply appeared in front of him before I sank my knife into his chest. He locked eyes with me, flowing with pure hatred, and brought down the stake with the last of his fleeting strength.

A blur caught his hand and I looked to see Ryuu, his long hair matted with blood and his sword dripping with the succulent liquid. "Die for your maker, not him."

Doyle turned and smiled at me, blood dripping from his mouth and staining his shirt. "Peaches! Bet ya never 'taut you'd have this much fun at work, eh?"

Ryuu snarled as he plucked the knife from the man's chest and hurled it over Doyle's shoulder, killing a pouncing bobcat. "I'd expect carelessness from an infant, Doyle. Not you." He turned to me. "Go, join your maker."

I turned to see Wilhelmina with her hands in the mouth of a wolf and break its jaw as she forced it mouth open past its normal range. I reached her side and tossed the body of a naked woman to the side just as Wilhelmina broke her neck with a quick snap. Her face had scratches and cuts that began to heal before my eyes and her mouth and clothes were stained with blood, as was I.

She smiled at me, her fangs glistening white against her blood stained mouth. "Nothing like a good fight."

"What the hell is going on?" I demanded. "These aren't just wolves."

"They seemed to have allied themselves with shifters." Wilhelmina licked her chops as she stood. "Adding to their already superior numbers."

"Shifters?" I asked. "What the hell are — "

"_Derrière vous_!" she shouted.

I turned to catch a tan hissing snake with a row of large rounded brown spots down the centre of its back and three smaller rows of alternating spots down each side. It was must have been young as it was barely more than a foot long and the fact only a young shifter would have made the error in thinking vampire were vulnerable to venom. I yelped and threw the snake onto the floor before stomping so hard I cracked the hardwood floor. I stomped twice more before the snake became the body of man with a bloody pulp that once was a human head.

I looked up and saw Wilhelmina eying me strangely. "I don't like snakes."

"You don't like snakes?" Wilhelmina threw her head back and howled with proud laughter. "Let me guess, it's the fangs is it not?"

I looked away and muttered, "Maybe."

Adrian brought a wolf on his knee, breaking the animal's spine. "Would you two like some tea and biscuits?" He tossed the body of a young boy aside. "At least Doyle is being useful for once."

"I resent that!" Doyle tossed another wolf to Regina who split the its skull with her now blood-red bat. "Plus, it's practically over now."

I looked around and saw Doyle was correct. Bodies, limbs, and blood covered almost everything as if the bar had been used for several rounds of Paintball. Some of the vampires has sustained injuries, many of them quite severe, but they would heal in time. As far as I could tell, despite the availability of them, not one shifter or werewolf had managed to drive a stake through a vampire's heart. But it was not for lack of effort as just about every vampire was removing very large shards of wood, chair legs mostly, from their limbs and necks. I watched with envy as Andrew and some of the females began to feed on the dead bodies that had not been ripped to pieces. I was about to join in when Wilhelmina squeezed my shoulder, tearing me from my hungry trance, and shook her head.

"Well, that was unexpected." Ryuu flicked the blood from his sword and sheathed it. "But it has been ages since I had such fun."

Kimberly came over with sword in hand. Like the rest of us, she was covered in blood and gore. If Wilhelmina had not squeezed my shoulder for the second time, I probably would have taken her right then and there in front of everyone. I would learn later it was simply my blood lust clouding my mind, but she looked so beutful the way she tossed her long flowing her out of her stoic bloodstained face.

I was so enticed by Kimberly that I failed to notice she was dragging a naked man by his long dirty blonde hair. He did his best to fight and escape her grip, but he had been bitten and beaten all over his body. And I was sure the large piece of wood protruding from his left thigh was not helping his cause. Like many of the bodies, the one still recognizable, he had intricate wolf tattoos on his back and biceps.

"This one still breaths." Kimberly tossed the man unceremoniously at Ryuu's feet. "Can I keep him?"

"I don't think he'd like that very much." Ryuu reluctantly smiled. "You've gone through too many pets as it is."

"Fuck you!" spat the man.

Wilhelmina disappeared from my side and placed her foot on the wooden shard in his leg. "_Surveillez votre langue, chien_!" She smiled as the man screamed. "And I just might make it quick."

Ryuu knelt by the man's head as he whimpered. "Now, what did you hope accomplish by attacking us?"

The man set his jaw firmly and turned his head.

"Wilhelmina?"

The man screamed as Wilhelmina applied more pressure.

"We have all night." Ryuu said. "Now talk!"

The man shook his head and stared defiantly at the sheriff.

"A fighter to the end I see." Ryuu stood and slowly drew his sword. "I can respect that."

"Wait!" I protested before I could stop myself. "Don't kill him!"

Everyone froze and stared at me.

Ryuu's eyes flicked to Wilhelmina before he asked. "And why not?"

"He might be useful?" I offered as I mentally cursed myself for my outburst.

Ryuu looked down at the man and I could tell he doubted me, but he seemed to be considering the possibility. "How so?"

"Well, you could glamour him." I suggested and hoped more would come to me.

"And what would that accomplish?" Wilhelmina asked suspiciously.

"It would get the packmaster out in the open." Ryuu answered. "If he was told that I was captured and being held captive nearby . . . in a building they do not own and unaware that we had already been invited . . . we could ambush them and finish this once and for all."

I was not all too happy with the turn this taken. In my attempt to save a man's life, I might have condemned the lives of others. "Actually I was thinking that — "

"You may remove your foot."Ryuu became a blur and sat in a chair. He pulled a rag from a pocket and began polishing his sword as he relayed orders "He's probably a _kawādo_ who hid while his brothers fought and died. Kimberly, come here. We must make preparations."

Wilhelmina obey and turned to return to my side should I need to be shaken back to my senses. "I wouldn't be able to get the taste out anyway."

As Wilhelmina walked I saw as the man gripped the shard of wood from his leg, and with a quick jerk, yanked the object from his leg. With the strength and speed only capable by those with nothing to lose, he stood and leaped at my maker.

"Get this out, bitch!" he bellowed.

unfortunately for him, and mostly me, he did not sink the stake into Wilhelmina's chest. He did however, bury the shard of wood deep into my left breast when I shoved Wilhelmina out of harm's way. I fell backward as his momentum drove us both onto the floor with him landing on top of me, driving the stake deeper into my chest. The pain was almost unbearable and my howl could only convey the smallest fraction of the agony I was in. I was aware that snarl erupted from somewhere and my killer screamed as his weight disappeared from my body. The pain began to pass and I found I could think again so long as I took care not to move.

But how was that possible?

A wooden stake through the heart was undeniably fatal to vampires.

Unless the death is somehow drawn out like it was for human when they are similarly injured. I had never asked Wilhelmina as I thought she might consider it a sensitive subject nor had I wondered. I simply assumed that if I was to meet my second and final end, it would have like what I had seen in films and television. A flash of pain and a puff of dust and ash and that would be all there would left of me.

As I laid there, motionless and unmoving, I heard Doyle say. "Shame, I was starting to like the kid."

"Not now, Doyle." Wilhelmina growled.

"Is he dead?" Ryuu asked gently. "The man, not the boy."

"No." Adrian answered cooly. "But with two broken arms and legs, he is not comfortable. That I promise you."

"That is something I suppose." Ryuu actually sounded regretful. "I'd hate to have his death be for nothing."

"Why am I not surprised that Doyle is the only one who had something nice to say?" I grunted. "The least you guys could do is fake it."

You could have cut the tension and silence with a knife.

Doyle was, of course, the one to deflate the room. "Well, that's new."

Ryuu loomed over me and demanded. "How are you not dead?"

"Is being staked instant?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Then I have no idea." I looked at Wilhelmina. "You've been around for a while. Any ideas?"

Wilhelmina said nothing and ripped open the tattered remains of my shirt. "Perhaps it missed his heart."

Ryuu bent to see more clearly and I winced when I felt his hand on my chest. "No, right in the middle of it."

"Then how?" Wilhelmina looked to me as if I had the solution. "I've never even thought this possible."

"Kimberly, _Saki to naifu_!" I yelped as Ryuu lifted me and called out. "And a table waist high."

Ryuu laid me down, not too gently, on a long table that Andrew an his mate brought and Kimberly handed Ryuu a knife and a ceramic flask that sloshed with liquid. Wilhelmina ripped the last pieces of cloth that had been my shirt. Before I could ask what they were about to do, Ryuu poured the liquid from the ceramic flask around the stake. I winced as i realized it was Japanese rice wine, Saki.

"For infections?" I asked.

"No." Ryuu wiped around the stake with piece of my shirt. "It's so no dirt or debris obscure my vision. Our kind is not vulnerable to infections and illness."

I eyed the knife with suspicion. "Can't you just pull it out?" I looked to Wilhelmina in alarm. "It'll heal, right?"

"Oh this isn't for the stake." Ryuu examined the knife's edge. "It's for you. Since we don't have any X-ray equipment and can't very well borrow one from the hospital, I must resort to more . . . archaic methods."

I understood immediately and tried to sit up, but Ryuu forced me back down with hardly any effort at all. "Can't you put me out or something?"

"Put you out?" Ryuu asked, unfamiliar with the phrase.

"Yeah," I said. "Pump me full of morphine or something."

Ryuu chuckled as he gripped the stake. "Funny."

"Wait!" I pleaded. "Let's just think anAHHHHHH!"

The pain was almost more than when the stake had gone in. I recovered just in time to catch Ryuu's wrist as he wasted no time in dissecting me like a frog in a school biology class. The second my hands touched his wrist, Wilhelmina wretched my hands off and held them down, allowing Ryuu to plunge the knife where the stake had been only a moment down. I screamed and howled as I kicked and struggled against Wilhelmina's iron grip.

"Hold his legs down." Ryuu said calmly.

Kimberly, Adrian, Doyle, and Regina all clamped down on my limbs. I was vaguely aware that Regina and Kimberly held my legs in place, despite my attempts to get free, while Adrian and Doyle took over for Wilhelmina and held down my arms and torso. Wilhelmina wrapped an arm around my head so her forearm was under my chin and placed a hand on my forehead so I could not move it in the slightest, other than the wails of agony.

"interesting . . ." Ryuu said curiously as I felt his fingers explore the contents of my chest. "Most interesting."

"I DON'T GIVE A FUCK IF ITS THE HOLY GRAIL!" I shouted. "GET OUT OF ME!"

"What's interesting?" Wilhelmina asked, ignoring me. "Did the stake not pierce his heart?"

"No." Ryuu looked confused. "He has no heart."

"Look who's talking!" I spat. "If you gave me a mrrff . . ."

"Sorry." Wilhelmina covered my mouth with a hand. "What do you mean he has no heart?"

"Look for yourself." Ryuu poured more Saki into the crater in my chest and I screamed behind Wilhelmina's hand. "No valves, no atriums, not even veins that would have taken blood to and from the rest of the body."

I felt Wilhelmina's grip loosen so I opened my mouth a bit her. I was rewarded with an angry hiss and the taste of her blood. But she removed her hand and allowed me to speak.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" I coughed. "I have Dextrocardia."

"Dextro-what now?" Doyle asked.

"Dextrocardia!" I hissed. "Its a birth defect."

"What kind of defect is it?" Ryuu looked quite interested.

"My heart is on the right." I was beginning to feel very weak. "So now you know. Can you please stop already?"

"Why did you not ever mention this?" Wilhelmina asked.

"It never caused me any problems when I was alive." My words sounded slurred to me. "After you turned me . . . didn't . . . matter . . . anymore."

"He needs to feed." Wilhelmina told the sheriff.

"Dextrocardia." Ryuu sounded deep in thought. "interesting."

"Ryuu-sama!" Kimberly said sharply. "She is right. This was too much for him."

Ryuu made a slight gesture and I felt the pressure lift from my limbs just as I felt a light body drapped over me. I could see and smell it was a werewolf male, which meant he was naked. At that point, I cared very little as to the gender and I sank my fangs into his neck and drank deeply. As I drank, I felt the haze around my mind and the fatigue fade slowly from my body. Wilhelmina removed the body from mine and looked at the crater in my chest that had stopped bleeding, but had not begun to close.

"How do you feel?" Wilhelmina asked, and I swore she actually sounded concerned.

"Like you care!" I snapped.

"What?"

"You would have died again if it wasn't for me." I reminded her.

"Yes."

"Then why didn't you stop him?!" I demanded. "One minute and I would have figured out it was my dextrocardia saved me, but instead you just let Ryuu gut me like school project."

"You have yet to learn of our politics." Wilhelmina began stoking my hair like she did every now and then when we were in bed together. "I may be older than Ryuu by centuries, but his station is higher than mine. The general sometime commands soldiers older than himself."

"So if Ryuu wanted to stake me for the hell of it, would you have to let him?" I watched her closely for her answer.

"Only if you had done something to warrant it." She gave me that slight smile that she was fond of. "Otherwise he would have to go through me first and he would not dare."

"I'm not interrupting am i?" I turned to see Kimberly holding another body in her arms. "You're going to need a lot of blood to recover."

Wilhelmina took the body from Kimberly, "Not at all."

"Kimberly, did you finish making the preparations?" Ryuu had returned to his chair and continued cleaning his sword with a rag. "We do not have much time."

"Yes," Kimberly said. "We all await your orders."

"_Yoshi_!" Ryuu stood and sheathed his sword. "It is time show those dogs who their master is. Tonight we end this!"

"I'm still up fer a good row," Doyle raised his hand. "But what about Peaches?"

"He does have a point." Wilhelmina admitted. "He cannot fight in this condition."

"And he cannot remain here as they might return." Ryuu looked quite vexed.

"Our humans are still here." Kimberly motioned to bar. "They could take him back to our nest to recover."

"Is it safe?" Wilhelmina asked. "Can they be trusted?"

"Yes." said Ryuu. "My home has been modified to accommodate our kind and they know the consequences for failure or betrayal."

"We'll need a tarp or something thick to wrap him in." Kimberly said. "It will be light out by the time they reach the house."

"Andrew, bring the car around." Ryuu tossed him a ring of keys. "And make sure the trunk is empty."

Wilhelmina laid me down on a large table cloth and helped Kimberly cover every last inch of me. I would spend the journey to Ryuu's home in the trunk of car, but making their trunks light tight was not priority of any manufacture. It would have been just my luck to survive being staked only to be reduced to a pile of ashes by the sun. I bit back a string of curses as I felt someone lift and throw me over their shoulder as they carried me into the parking lot, apparently forgetting I had been severely injured. As I was being laid gently in the trunk, ignoring the smell of stale blood which I decided not to comment on, I caught Kimberly giving orders to what sounded like a man. I assumed it was the same man who had been playing cards with Tasha and Susan.

"Do you understand, Nicholas?" Kimberly asked. "You are not to stop under any circumstances until you reach the house."

I shouted. "Make sure you don't push it past fifty-five. Otherwise you're just begging for a prick cop to pull you over."

"Yes, that too." Kimberly warned. "If something happens to him, no matter why or how, its gonna be much quicker for him than for you."

Nicholas assured my safety, for his sake, and the heard the lid of the trunk close and the screech of tires a second later. Since the trunk had not been outfitted with an entertainment system or an intercom should I feel the need to converse with those that rode upfront, I tried to ascertain which direction I was heading. The car made a few turns before I felt the increase in speed. I assumed that we had merged onto an expressway. As to which one, that was a mystery. We could be on the Sunrise Highway (heh), but that opened a laundry list of possibilities just to travel north. And since I had not been told where exactly Ryuu and his nest lived, there was no telling how far west or east we needed to be. I knew he must probably live in the richest part of his area, but I was not privy to the size of his area.

I gave up my efforts and settled on music that came from the car radio. Lucky for me, Nicholas and I shared a taste for old rap songs.I could not tell whether four hours had passed or two minutes, but I grew eventually tired and sleep began to overtake me. The need to sleep is strong for vampires. Almost nothing can keep our kind from sleeping during the daylight hours and the few things that can, are not pleasant. I guessed the sun was less than ten minutes away from breaking the horizon and bringing with it the start of a new day, for humans at least.

* * *

"Dominick?" I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Its time to wake up."

I threw my eyes open as I clutched a wrist with bone crushing force. I then gripped my attacker's neck and threw her on the bed as I followed soon after. I straddled her, my legs on either side of her waist, and held down her shoulders. I hissed in warning just as my fangs shot out and went to bite.

I paused.

Looking up at me, with an amused smile, was Kimberly.

"Good reflexes." She smirked. "But — "

I felt something erupt under my stomach as I was propelled into the air. Kimberly rolled to her side and stood as she drove her forearm into my chest, sending down just as quickly. I then looked up at Kimberly, dressed in black jeans and a tight gray tank top with her hair tied back, with her legs crossed and smiling.

"Predictable." she finished.

"Sorry." I retracted my fangs.

"Don't be." she said. "That was your waking reflex."

"My what?"

"Your waking reflex." she repeated. "Its in case a human or something attacks just as you wake."

"But wouldn't a human not wait for me to wake up?" I asked.

"I didn't say it was a perfect defense." She looked down and smiled, her fangs sliding out slightly. "Hmm . . . maybe Tasha wasn't exaggerating after all."

I looked down and saw what she meant. "Why am I naked?"

"We sent your clothes out to be cleaned." Kimberly checked her watch. "We'll picked them up on our way back."

"Back from where?"

"The cleanup is taking a little longer than we thought." Kimberly bent down and kissed my cheek. "But we won thanks to you."

"Your welcome." I said, trying not show I was less than enthusiastic about the massacre of an entire werewolf pack. "So what now? You want me to come with you a help get the stains out of the carpet or something?"

"We can handle that. In the mean time, you're Ryuu's guest." Kimberly removed herself from my chest. "Just stay here and enjoy yourself until we get back."

I raised an eyebrow. "Enjoy myself?"

Kimberly smirked. "Susan? You can come in now."

I heard a door creak open and I sat up on my elbows to see Susan enter wearing a thick gray bathrobe. Her honey blond hair hung loose and looked lustrously smooth as if she had returned from a salon. She smelled of citrus fruits and spring water. She had applied some make up, but her face was bare for the most part. I also noticed that her face was impassive and walked with a thousand yard stare, the tell tale signs of a glamored human. Susan didn't seem embarrassed at my nude body nor did she give any indication that was aware of her surroundings. That was the power of a vampire's glamour. A human suffering from hydrophobia could be persuaded to swim in a pool of sharks without batting an eye if they had been glamored before hand.

Susan straddled me and looked down at me as Kimberly said. "She is yours now."

"Mine?"

"We lost Andrew in the assault." Kimberly explained.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not. He was incredibly annoying even for a child." Kimberly placed a hand on Susan's shoulder. "So Ryuu's giving her to you since we all have humans to feed from."

"I can see why Andrew liked her." I said, trying to sound grateful and not insult her or Ryuu.

"Wait until you taste her." Kimberly assured. "Susan, show your new master."

Susan untied the belt of her robe to reveal her nude body. She laid down and passionately kissed me, her tongue quickly darting into my mouth. She then kissed her way across my cheek and began lightly chewing on my neck as her hand rubbed my chest. A gasped escaped from my throat and I felt my fang extend fully when Susan began rubbing her body against mine and she squeaked in pleasure. I turned my head and she parted her lips so our tongues could become better acquainted. While we tasted each other, I slipped my hands under her robe and allowed them to learn her topography.

"I leave you two to become better acquainted." Kimberly said as she left the room. "Feel free to use any of the rooms, but remember all of the other humans belong to someone else."

I grunted my understanding.

Once I heard the door close, I stopped and waited until I heard the sound of several cars starting and driving off. I might have been hungry, but I still could not bring myself to mate and feed from this girl who had been glamored to do so. I waited another minute, doing my best to ignore Susan nuzzling and licking my chest, to make sure everyone had left.

I grabbed Susan by the shoulder and brought her to my eyes. "Susan, snap out of it."

It was as if she had just noticed she was in a room and about to have sex with a vampire. She looked around trying to recall exactly she had come to being in the room. She seemed somewhat relieved and I assumed it due to being in a familiar setting. Then she looked down and realized she was naked under an opened bathrobe as well as on top of an aroused and hungry vampire.

"Eep!" she squeaked and hurried to close her robe. "Its you! Kimberly's friend."

"Dominick." I told her.

"What am I doing here?"

"More like who." I said with a bit of a smile making sure I retracted my fangs. "I think Kimberly or someone glamoured you."

"But I'm Andrew's." She looked frightened, but not of me. "He'll kill us both."

"He was killed last night." I told her. "While I was in the trunk of the car."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god." Then she remembered that I, like Andrew, was a vampire. "Um, I didn't mean . . . I . . ." Susan looked absolutely terrified at what I might do.

"I take it Andrew was less than perfect gentleman?" I asked to show her I wasn't insulted.

"He was when we first met." To my surprise, Susan laid down and rest her head on my chest. "It was my first time in the city and he was so charming and sweet. Buying me drinks and dancing with me."

"But it was all an act."

She nodded. "I don't what happened, but the next thing I knew he was taking me back to his hotel room. He didn't drug me, but I couldn't stop wanting him to undress me."

"He glamoured you." I told her. "If done right, he could make you do anything and you'd think it was all you."

"I figured that out later." She said, still not looking up at me. "When asked if I wanted to come live with him and I said yes. It was that bad at first, but then he got tired of glamouring me before we . . . uh, slept together and I realized why I felt so tired afterwards. And the biting really hurt."

I remembered back to the night when Wilhelmina turned me and how painful it was when she bit my neck. The first bite felt like a slight pinch at worst as I was still floating on a cloud of bliss after I had climaxed, but the second and third bite were far more excruciating that Wilhelmina clamped a hand over my mouth to muffle my protests.

"You're not like them, are you?" She looked up at me curiously. "They wouldn't bother to unglamor me or even care to listen to what I had to say."

"No." I said.

"Why?"

"Honestly, I have no idea." I told her. "Maybe it's because I'm so young and I'll eventually be just like them."

"Maybe." she agreed. "Or could be Andrew wanted to be a vampire."

"Really?"

"Yes." she nodded. "He told me how he had accidentally caught Ryuu feeding on man in an alley and he asked him to turn him into one." She looked unsure if she should ask, but I had been acomadating so far so she risked asking. "You didn't want to be one of them did you?"

"No." I didn't feel the need to elaborate and she didn't push for more.

"I'm yours now, aren't I?" she asked tactfully changing the subject. "Now that Andrew's dead for good and Kimberly glamoured me to be here?"

"Yes." I explained. "You're my reward for helping Ryuu and I think he's trying to apologize for carving me up."

"He what?"

"He cut out a large chunk from my chest when I was staked protecting my maker." I smiled slightly. "Right where your chin is now."

"If you were staked, how are you still here?" She looked down at my pale white smooth chest. "You don't even have a scar."

"Rapid healing comes with being a vampire." I told her. "Plus I had dextrocardia when I was alive. My heart is on my right instead of my left like most people."

"I've never heard of that."

"Only one in about twelve thousand are born with it. Most don't even know they have it. I didn't learn anything was wrong with me until I developed an allergy to pollen when I was twelve and I went to a doctor." I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "I'm sort of a rarity. If you factor the low number of people with dextrocardia its no surprise that few of us survive an encountering a vampire, let alone being turned into one." I made a circle on my left breast. "Ryuu cut me open to see why didn't I die."

"Couldn't you have just told him?"

"It's hard to think when your being gutted like a fish while someone sticks in his fingers inside of you, let alone form words. Other than screaming bloody murder since painkillers don't work on us."

"Oh." Susan paused and seemed unsure of something. "Are you hungry?"

"A little." I said when in truth I was starving. "If you don't want to — "

"Its alright!" she assured me. "I'm yours now."

"But — "

"I'm not glamoured anymore." she reminded me. "I'm telling you its alright."

"I almost drained Tasha dry." My fangs slid out slightly at my temptation and my lower half had begged to start since Susan first straddled me. "Aren't you scared?"

"Not the way I was with Andrew." She kissed me again, but this time the passion behind it was genuine. "Its the least I could do."

I'm sure anyone else in my position would jumped at mating with a beautiful girl, but am also sure I would be among the rare few that would actually free her from Kimberly's glamor. Like with Tasha, I offered a choice and Susan chose me. Barring a second a level glamor that i was unaware of and was continuing to influence her, I proceeded.

An hour later I sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at my human. She was fast asleep with a weary, but content, smile as she lay curled up like a peaceful kitten under the sheets. I tore my gaze from Susan and her light snoring and examined the room. The room did not have a carpet like my room in Soho, but it was so one could admire the finely polished mahogany wood floor. The walls were bare, lacking even windows, and were painted a slight tan. The floor molding around the perimeter was painted a bright glossy white as were the three doorways and the doors themselves. On of them had led to a bathroom which was of little use to me unless I felt the need to shower. The other Kimberly had used to leave so that left the remaining third door a closet that probably had a false bottom and coffin for a vampire to sleep in during the day. I stood from the bed and walked to small dresser in the corner of the room. I quickly donned a pair of gray sweatpants and a black tank top. Kimberly had said to make myself at home and judging by Susan had told me about the room, Andrew wouldn't mind if I borrowed some clothes.

I quietly closed the door as left the room and walked down the hall. I saw while the floor molding were painted the same white as the room the walls were painted sky blue and actually had fixtures hanging from them, mock japanese style paintings mostly. The floor was the same mahogany as the room and just as finely polished. I caught the scent of at least six humans including Tasha and Susan in the air. Kimberly had mentioned that most of the nest kept their humans here and of course their scents would be all over the house. I heard the faint sound of voices coming from the room at the end of the hall and decided to investigate out curiosity. I entered the kitchen to find Tasha, Nicholas, and a teenager who couldn't be a day over eighteen with blond hair. They seemed to be discussing something about food when they froze like deer in the headlights or deer when they caught the sight of a hungry lion. I noticed that Nicholas was holding a cordless phone while Tasha held a small stack of takeout menus and the young man held a pad and paper in hand.

"D-Dominick." said Tasha. "You're up."

"Where's Susan?" demanded the young man.

"In the third room on the right." I said. "Sleeping."

"Great." he said. "Just great."

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Was she supposed to do something."

"Oh, don't mind James." Tasha flashed him a look. "Normally Susan is the one that cooks, but Andrew has been . . . keeping her busy for the last week."

"And I'm sick of ordering out." muttered James.

"Is the refrigerator empty?" I asked.

"No."

"Then what's the problem?"

"None of us know how to cook." said Nicholas. "Well, I can make a decent pasta sauce, but for obvious reasons Ryuu doesn't let us keep garlic in the house. It took a week to convince him to just let us buy food."

"I smelled more humans other than you and Susan." I asked. "Where are they?"

"They're running errands for their . . ." James searched for the right word. "Vampires?"

I walked to refrigerator and saw it was fully stocked. I did the same for the pantry and several cabinets. None of them said anything as I piled the counter in front of them high with ingredients, pans, and tools. I took the pad and pen from James and quickly wrote three pages of instructions. After a minute, they had all they needed. I gave them each a page with instructions for each part of the meal. Nicholas would prepare and cook a roast large enough for six people and potatoes to accompany it. Tasha would make a simple salad with a tangy vinaigrette and a vegetable dish of sauteed of green beans. I tasked the James with making three keylime pies each using a different type of cookie for a crust.

"As long as you follow those instructions to the letter, you'll be fine." I said. "I kept it as simple as I could."

"Good looking, a tiger in the sack, and able to cook." Tasha smiled seriously. "Where have you been all my life?"

James stared at the paper he held. "How does a vampire know how to cook?"

"Were you like an apprentice to a chef during the french revolution?" Nicholas asked eager for an answer. "I bet you learned from Marie Antoine Carême himself."

"No." I told him. "I was a bartender a little over a year ago."

With that, I made my way to the living room. I sank into an expensive looking brown leather couch that wrapped around both corners. In front of where I sat was an unused fireplace with a high definition television mounted over the mantle. Next to the fireplace was a stand that held the standard iron tools one would use to cultivate a fire that looked brand new. The windows were covered by thick white curtains so none could see the going ons of the interior, but it also prevented me from doing the same for the outside. I picked up the remote control that sat next to me and turned on the television. I flipped through the channels not really paying attention to the programs, but I found myself sitting forward with great interest at a breaking news bulletin.

"That's right, Tom." said the reporter. "I'm standing just outside of what's left of a house here in Freeport after a fire has left only the foundations as these brave firefighters have just put out a massive inferno."

"Clean up my ass." I said and turned up the volume.

"The police belive they have found the person responsible for three fires that have occurred in the past two months that have claimed the lives of nine people already. A body was found hanging from a tree in the yard of home." The reporter was handed a sheet of paper. "A note was found stuffed in the pocket of thirty-two year old Jacob Lautner in which he claimed to have aided others in setting three clubs ablaze because the owners refused the distribution of illegal drugs." The reporter held the sheet. "It says and I quote, 'I can no longer live with myself for what I have done. Only a mangy dog like me and the others like me could think of doing such a despicable act without paying a price. I know nothing I do can atone for my sins, but I can still try. May god have mercy on my soul and the others that will accompany to the gates of hell.' The police will continue evidence to the contrary, but it looks like the arsonist has been identified and is dead. Back to you, Tom."

"Did Ryuu and them do that?" asked a voice.

Startled, I hissed and brandished my fangs at Tasha which caused her to jump back and nearly drop a ceramic flask. Luckily for the floor, she recovered quickly and caught the flask before it could spill and stain the floor.

"Don't ever sneak up on a vampire." I retracted my fangs.

"S-s-sorry." Tasha held out the flask with a trembling. "W-w-we t-t-thought — "

"Calm down." I said gently. "Just because my fangs came out doesn't mean I'm going to use them." I took the flask before she could drop it. "Its just reflex."

"W-we thought you m-might be hungry." Tasha seemed to have calmed down slightly. "Ryuu keeps some blood in an incubator in case he doesn't feel like going out."

"Oh, thanks." I looked down and saw the flask was filled with warm blood. "Having trouble with dinner?"

"No. Your directions were very clear." Tasha still looked wary of me, but was beggining to relax. "We just finished cleaning everything while the roast cooks."

"Just make sure you bring a plate to Susan." I caught the scent of meat and potatoes wafting through the air from the kitchen and I felt envious for a moment. "I noticed the faint taste of grease and salt in her blood."

"That's probably all the fast food." said Tasha. "Its all they used to bring us before we convinced them we needed real food."

"I'll make sure to leave some simple recipes before I leave." I sipped the blood. "But you should really invest in a cookbook."

"Tasha!" called James. "We need you back here."

Tasha left and I continued to watch the news bulletin as I sipped the blood like my father had done with beer when he watched the news. As I feared, Ryuu had spared no one. The bodies of women and children had been found among the charred bodies. From a logical standing, it was necessary otherwise Ryuu would have to wary of family members seeking revenge, but it was abhorrent from an ethical and moral standing to end their lives for the mistakes of others. I assured myself I had no reason to be guilty as I had only killed in self defense when we were attacked at Yojimbo's. Yes I provided with Ryuu with solutions to end the dispute quickly, but all I had given was information. To allow the blame to fall on me would be equivalent to convicting man who had simply sold a hammer to another man who then used it to murder his wife. I had no idea if my theories were actually possible as I lacked the information to be certain of their success or failure.

Just as the story began to repeat the door opened an women entered. She looked to be roughly in her thirties with light make up and her copper colored hair tied back into a ponytail. She wore a white blouse with black pants and matching shoes. Hanging over her left arm, she carried a suit jacket, vest, and pants wrapped in a plastic bag that one would receive upon visiting a late dry cleaner. In her left hand she held a white paper shopping bag that read Massimo's Elegance in flowing red script. I assumed, based on Ryuu's scent on her, she was Ryuu's human and he had sent her ahead to pick up my suit from the cleaners. He had also sent her to pick up a replacement for my dress shirt that got ruined beyond recognition during the Werewolf and Shifter attack at Yojimbo's.

"Are you Dominick?" she asked.

"Yes." I set down the near empty flask. "That's my suit I take it."

"Yes." She held out the items. "Your hat, shirt, and shoes are in the bag."

"Thank you." I laid them on the couch next to me. "Who are you?"

"My name is Hillary." she said.

"And you're Ryuu's?" I asked.

"Yes." She looked frightened at being in the presence of a vampire she did not know. "Almost two years now."

"The others are in the kitchen." I told her. "They should be almost done with making dinner."

"Andrew doesn't mind Susan cooking for us?" Hillary asked.

"He's dead." I said. "Plus she's sleeping right now."

"Then who is . . ."

"Tasha, Nicholas, and James. I gave them some simple directions to follow. Just make sure you leave a plate aside for Susan."

"I'll do that." Hillary said. "Thank you."

Hillary left and I quickly dressed my suit. Hillary had picked an orange dress shirt which I slipped over the black tank top and tucked into my pants. The orange shirt seemed to go quite well with the rest of the suit, especially when I knotted my tie and buttoned my vest. I decided to leave the jacket off until I left for the city and left the shoes with others in the corner. I guessed that, after well over a century, Ryuu kept the tradition of removing one's shoes before entering the house and I had no desire to anger him. An hour passed and nothing new devolped in the fire that I was certain that Ryuu had a hand in. From the sounds of plates and running water I guessed that the humans had finished eating and were busy cleaning the kitchen before their masters returned, no doubt a tad peckish from the night's events.

Just as I turned off the television, Ryuu and his nest entered with their humans. They looked to be in fine spirits as they removed their shoes and joined me on the couch. Without a word the humans sat in the laps of their vampires. Some would kiss quite passionately while other simply sank their fangs into the human's neck. I could smell blood on them as well gasoline, kerosene, and burning wood. I also saw that small little droplets of blood were on their clothes. Ryuu sat to my right and Kimberly to my left.

"Here," Ryuu placed a thick stack of money in my lap. "Your cut plus a bonus for your help in getting rid our pest problem."

"This a hundred-thousand dollars!" I gasped.

"I was just as surprised those dogs managed to hide ten times that much." Ryuu grew sour for a moment. "Of course the king demanded half for simply being the king, but there was plenty left over to get my enterprises up and running again."

"Where's Wilhelmina?" I asked. "I thought she was with you."

"She and the rest of your nest left for their home in the city." Ryuu explained. "Wilhelmina told me to give you this." He handed me a red cellphone. "She'll be calling you soon I wager."

As if by magic, the phone rang and I answered. "Hello?"

"Dominick?" asked a voice that was without a doubt Wilhelmina.

"Yes."

"Have you fully recovered?"

"Yes."

"Then please return to the nest once Ryuu is finished with you." Wilhelmina hung up.

"She wants me to come back home." I told Ryuu.

"I'm not surprised." Ryuu stood up. "Please wait here for a moment."

Ryuu disappeared in blur just as Tasha entered and sat on Kimberly's lap.

"Hey, baby" Tasha wrapped her arms lovingly around Kimberly. "I missed you."

Kimberly responded by kissing Tasha who seemed glad with her response and reciprocated. Kimberly brought her human closer as they both moaned with passion which seemed to be the norm with the other vampires and humans as they had begun to heat things up. Nicholas and James entered and went to ther prospective vampires, both of them male, as Hillary stood off to the side as she was Ryuu's. With the exception of Hillary, I was the only one without another body wrapped around me moaning and grunting in ecstasy. I will not lie. The scents and sounds in the air had gotten me aroused, making my fang slide slightly and I found myself trying not watch Kimberly and Tasha as they rubbed their bodies against each other.

Tasha pulled away and offered her neck. "Go on, baby." Kimberly sank her already extended fangs into her neck as her hand massaged Tasha's bottom. but then she paused and pulled away. "Something wrong?"

"You taste different." Kimberly looked confused. "So much more complex."

"That's probably the dinner she had." I explained. "She explained how they've been eating nothing but fried food when I mentioned Susan tasted of grease and salt."

"What did you eat?" Kimberly asked.

"A roast with some potatoes, green beans, and a salad." Tasha looked eager to continue, rubbing Kimberly's shoulder. "But I wanted you for dessert."

"Oh you will." Kimberly sank her fangs into again and began to massage her bottom again.

I looked and saw the vampires feeding from James and Nicholas were also satisfied with the improvements I made to their diets. I was wondering if they had remembered to bring Susan a plate when Ryuu entered carrying a cane. It was made of polished black Malacca wood with an iron tip on the bottom while the head was decorate with mock silver rings and studs.

Ryuu handed me the cane. "I give this to you."

"A cane?"

Ryuu smiled. "Twist the top and pull."

I did as he said and drew a two and half foot long straight blade of high tensile steel. The blade was pointed so it could used to stab as well as slash. I noticed the all around the perimeter of the edge was much brighter than the rest of the blade as if two different metal had been used to forge the weapon.

" A _shikomizue_." Ryuu explained. "A concealed sword. I was a swordsmith in my human life and it was not until my maker turned me that he taught me the way of the samurai." Ryuu motioned to the blade in my hands. "unfortunately only officials could carry traditional swords so I took to forging these for my maker and I. I've kept a few as souvenirs, but I say you have earned this."

"I never thought vampires used weapons." I said in awe.

"Most older vampire do not as their speed and strength is more than enough, but younglings not so much." He pointed to brighter edge. "The edge is made from silver should you find yourself attacked by werewolves or another vampire."

I sheathed the blade. "Thank you, Ryuu-sama."

Twenty minutes later I stood outside a large car garage next to a motorcycle that belonged to the late Jacob Lautner. Ryuu said that Andrew had died trying to steal the motorcycle making the mistake that its owner was dead and not simply at death door. Long story short, Andrew turned his back long enough for Jacob to bury a broken branch in his back. Andrew's mate insisted on driving it back to the nest, but found she did not wish to be reminded of his death. So she gave me the keys to a well maintained Harley Davidson VRSCA - V. While my father had threatened and warned about ever purchasing one, he did deem it necessary that circumstances might not be so accommodating to his wishes and taught me how drive one.

I had just finished slipping my new cane and suit jacket into a backpack when Susan approached me. Like myself, she had a large backpack stuffed with the few material possessions Andrew saw fit for her. She seemed to have recovered nicely from the blood loss and, as she put it, the coma inducing sex. The wonders what sleep and a hearty homemade meal will do for an ailing body and mind.

"We're taking that into the city?" she asked a little anxiously.

"Traffic's a huge pain for cars. With this I can go between car if there's a back up. I have a long way back and I'd rather not be out when the sun comes up." I kickstarted the bike and the engine roared to life. "Hop on."

She mounted the bike and wrapped her arms tightly around my waist. I had her slip on the only helmet as she was much more delicate than I was and I could not stand the smell of wet dog. Ryuu had given me direction to reach the Long Island Expressway from his home. As it turned out, I was already familiar with the area. Ryuu's home was in Mill Neck and was located only a few miles south of Bayville which was on the opposite side of Long Island from Freeport. Following Ryuu's direction I took West Shore Road south then made a left onto Main Street as I entered Oyster Bay. I stayed on Main Street until it crossed with South Street, one of the many names for Route 106, and made a right. I then followed the road south for several miles, making sure to obey the speed limit as I passed through Muttontown and Brookville that had their own private police force that would pull you over at the drop of a hat, until I reached Hicksville. I pulled into the Hicksville train station, surprisingly not completely deserted and had a Susan wait for me with the bike. Using the money Ryuu had liberated from the Jacob's pack, I purchased a single ticket to Penn Station from the automated ticket machine and went back to Susan.

"Here." I handed Susan the ticket and five hundred dollars. "Take this and go home."

"What?" She took the ticket and money. "You mean Soho?"

"No, I mean where you lived before you met Andrew." I told her. "Where was that?"

"Philadelphia." she said

"Then here." I handed her another five hundred dollars. "When you reach Penn Station buy the first ticket for the first train heading there."

"I don't understand." She looked not sure whether to kiss me or cry. "You're letting me go?"

"Yes."

"You don't want me?"

"Not like this."

"But — "

"Are you telling me you really want to come with me to my nest in Soho? Because I'm telling you this. You might be mine, but I'm going to have to share you with my maker and she's more than twice Ryuu's age." I gave her a serious look. "But if you want to spend the next week being raped and fed on until you finally die, then stay."

"Oh . . ."

"You said it yourself, I'm not like the rest of them."

"You're right." She looked at peace and she gazed up the platform. "Thank you."

"Susan?"

She looked down at me, but more importantly in my eyes. "Yes?"

"I want you to forget this ever happened." I said gently, but firmly. "You weren't held captive by vampires. You met a guy named Andrew and moved in with him, but things didn't work out and that's why you decided to go back to Philadelphia."

"Really?" she asked lazily as my glamour overtook her. "No vampires?"

"No vampires." I repeated. "They're not even real. In fact, anything you might remember about vampires doing things to do you was all just a dream. It never happened."

"That's a relief."

"Now take the train to Penn Station and buy a ticket to Philadelphia when you get there." I instructed. "Go home."

I watched Susan walk to the escalator just a train pulled into the station, hopefully it was headed to Penn Station. I waited until the train left the station and continued west towards New York City. I kickstarted the engine, but pause when I recalled exactly where I was. I had passed the Long Island Expressway a few miles back north, but that was not the issue. If I was in Hicksville, that meant the next town over was my old home, Westbury.

Turn around and head north to the Long Island Expressway and the city from there to a nest of bloodthirsty vampires?

Or take Old Country Road west and gaze from across the street into my old home to see my family getting on without me?

I kickstarted the engine and sped north as fast as the engine could take me.


	7. Things Change

I reached the apartment a mere fifteen minutes before sunrise. Everyone already had retired to their coffins for the day and I was beginning to feel weary myself, my body's way of telling me the sun was not far off. I entered my room, throwing the backpack Ryuu had given me to carry my cane and suit jacket into a corner. I did no bother undressing and I opened the false bottom of my closet and climbed into my coffin.

I fell asleep almost instantly.

While I tended to wake up a slight bit later than the rest of my nest mates, I was still surprised to find Wilhelmina standing in front me when I rose from my coffin. She did not look overly happy, but it was not as if I expected her to jump up and down with girlish squeals at my return.

"Where were you?" she demanded.

I settled for the truth, in part at least. "I got hungry."

"You fed?"

"Yes."

"Did you dispose of the body?"

"No need."

"Why not?"

"Because I didn't kill her." I told her. "I've never gotten rid of body and I figured I didn't have time to try."

"Where is the human now?"

"Don't know." I said truthfully. "She mentioned she lived in Philadelphia. I glamored her when I was done and healed the wounds on her neck. I just figured she took the train out of the city."

"And no one witnessed you feeding?" Wilhelmina narrowed her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure I would have heard screaming. It was dark, well for humans anyway, if anyone did see I guess they just assumed we were making out."

"Making out?" she repeated. "I'm not familiar with that phrase."

"Kissing."

"Why didn't you just say that?"

"I thought I did."

I climbed out of the closet's false bottom and coffin. I noticed I was still dressed in my suit so I sat on the bed and began to untie the laces of my leather shoes. I had just slipped out of my vest and began unbuttoning my shirt when Wilhelmina bent down, her face an inch from my own, and I saw she had the strangest expression in her eyes. I was about ask when she bent lower, her cheek brushing against mine as she did, and I felt her nose just tickling my neck. I expected her to smell of werewolf, blood, and chemicals, but I smelt the scent that I had grown fond of in the past year. Somehow, it felt reassuring to me.

"You smell like her." Wilhelmina sounded strange, like she was annoyed. "That human girl you fed from." She pulled away and looked me in the eye. "You mated with her?"

"Yes." I did not like the look in her eyes. "Are you mad?"

"No." Wilhelmina's eyes softened slightly. "But I also do not want you smelling like that."

"I'll take a shower."

I had just removed my orange shirt , only a black tank top covered my pale chest, when I felt Wilhelmina's hand undo the buckle of my belt and unbutton my pants. She kissed me like she had done countless times before and I kissed her back, our tongues dancing and caressing each other with great familarity. We parted for a moment and stared into each others eyes with longing and desire.

"I have a much more . . . _enjoyable_ method in mind." Wilhelmina purred, her fangs slightly visible.

I felt my own fangs sliding out and I smiled, "More relaxing than a hot shower?"

Wilhelmina pushed me down hard on the bed and straddled me. "I said enjoyable, not relaxing."

Despite Wilhelmina's assurance, I felt quite relaxed when we finally stopped after two hours. As was her habit, Wilhelmina laid on top of me as she rest her head where my heart should have been. While I was certain that Wilhelmina had completely purged Susan's scent from my body after the first half hour or so, she felt different and we carried on until we both agreed to rest a moment. If I had any doubts to whether Wilhelmina cared for me, they were quickly dashed. I thought back to when I laid on a table after Ryuu had carved my chest open and Wilhelmina came to comfort me, lovingly stroking my hair as she often did after we made love. Then the way she reacted to and the way she went about erasing Susan's scent from my body. While a simple shower would have been sufficient, Wilhelmina desired to replace Susan's scent with her own. A desire I felt no inclination to oppose.

I'm not certain when exactly my feelings towards her began to change, but I longer saw as I first did. When Wilhelmina revealed herself to a vampire, one that had been killing and draining humans since the early fourteenth century, I hated her with every fiber of my being. In her eyes, she had given me the ultimate gift, but I did not. This monster tore me from a family that depended on me, that had cared for me, and was probably still mourning my death to some extent. My mother surely would have added anti depressant to her daily regimen of medication while father probably sunken deep enough in whiskey to drown a Mexican sea captain. And my brother would have been upset at my sudden departure as well. Then there were the few close friends I had left behind. I wonder how they were coping without me there to mix drinks and join them as we all joked and laughed without a care in the world.

But then, I saw Wilhelmina in a different light. No longer was she the monster that had killed me, but the woman who had freed me. This woman would guide and teach me how to survive in this new exciting world. This woman would protect and care for me as I did her. This beautiful woman, who could have any man or woman that caught her eye, desired me enough to have me stay and share her bed just as I desired her. She was my guide, my mentor, my protector, and my lover.

She was mine and I was hers.

"What happened here?" Wilhelmina asked.

"What?"

"Here. I'm surprised I did not notice this before." Her finger traced a three inch scar on the lower left side of my abdomen. "It looks like you received a rather deep cut from a very sharp knife."

She wasn't far off, but I assured her it was not from fighting on an ancient battlefield. "I had my appendix removed when I was fourteen."

"Removed?"

I nodded. "I woke up one morning with my side hurting. I ignored it for a day or two, but it just got worse. Eventually I had to go to a doctor and he took an X-Ray. I paused. "You know what an X-Ray is?"

"It is the machine that people use to see inside of a body?" She guessed. "Without cutting it open, correct?"

"Yes." I continued. "They saw my appendix had become inflamed and had to be removed."

"You were quite sick as a child." she remarked.

"What?"

"You were born unable to properly digest milk, to say nothing of your heart defect. You then developed an allergy to the pollen in flowers which was quite problematic in spring I imagine. And now you tell me you had to undergo surgery to remove an organ." She began to list all the medical conditions I had suffered from. "Dextrocardia, lactose intolerance, seasonal allergies, and appendicitis. You should consider yourself fortunate to have been turned."

I hesitated to answer. To me, becoming a vampire so one did not have suffer from illnesses and diseases seemed to be the equivalent of receiving a strong dose of Chemo to cure a cold.

"Please do not tell me you are still mooning after your human life." Wilhelmina looked up at me, demanding an answer.

"I'm not sure mooning is the right word." I said gently. "More like considering."

"Considering?" Wilhelmina looked unsure. "When you were human, what did you desire? What did you hope to have that you could not have now with much less effort?"

"I guess what anyone wanted at my age." It was the honest truth. "Money to buy anything I wanted, a big house with a pool and a sports car, a beautiful girlfriend in my bed." I smiled fondly at her. "I guess I got the last one."

"I am not your girlfriend." she said firmly.

"Well, you're not my wife."

"No." Wilhelmina reminded me. "The bond between a vampire and his maker is greater than any marrige and deeper than any human bond."

"So what's the word for it then?"

"I am your maker." She answered slowly so I could understand the depth of her meaning. "Nothing more and nothing less."

It seemed my maker had rested enough and lowered herself.

Our fangs slid out the moment I entered her.

On a whim, I sat up and embraced her as I twisted so now she was one laying on the bed.

"What are you doing?" she gasped.

I bent low, hovering a hairsbreadth from those beautiful lips, and whispered. "No need to do all the work."

Then the door of my room open and there stood Doyle.

"Oy, Willy!" said Doyle. "We headin' out fer a bite. Ya comin' or ya wanna give yer shining knight a few more bobs?"

"Ever hear of knocking?" I growled.

"Aw, don't tell me lil' Peaches is still shy." Doyle smirked. "Or is the mystery better than reveal?"

I hissed and rushed to the corner of the room, my lust replaced with rage. In the blink of an eye, I took the cane that stuck out from the backpack Ryuu had given me and went to drive it into Doyle's chest. Of course Doyle caught it with a single hand and chuckled at my attempt to push and pull the cane from his grip.

He looked down. "Hmm, not bad." He chuckled when I pulled again. "Word of advice, don't go fer the obvious. A young buck like yerself, he won't last unless he dose something a little more creative."

I paused. "Thanks for the advice."

I twisted the handle and pulled the blade from its sheath. I swung the sword as fast as I could, Doyle too surprised to comprehend the danger he was in.

"Stop!" Wilhelmina ordered.

The blade halted to a dead stop, the silver edge a mere millimeter from Doyle's neck.

Then I felt something grip my throat as I was lifted off my feet and slam me hard onto the floor. Doyle loomed over me, clearly no longer amused, and his fangs shot out as he growled.

"Ya fucking little chav!" He snarled. "I'll shove that gizmo of up your fucking Gary glitter." His grip tighten on my neck. "Drop it!"

I saw that I was still holding the sword, so I dropped it like I was told. Fortunately for Doyle, the blade landed its flat side on his exposed neck. Unfortunately, Doyle learned the hard way that the blade's edge was made from silver. He hissed and buckled slightly. I pushed him off and I scrambled to my feet as Doyle rolled to his. He was livid now and he pounced like one of the shifters from two nights ago at Yojimbo's.

To my surprise, something materialized in front of me and caught Doyle by the throat. I realized it was Wilhelmina when she slammed Doyle to the floor just he had done with me. Her fangs were still out, but all lust had fade from her face.

"Retract your fangs." She ordered. "Now!"

"But he — "

"I don't care." Wilhelmina's expression was absolutely terrifying and I was glad it was not directed at me. "Do not make me repeat myself."

Doyle obeyed and retracted his fangs.

"Now I am going to release you." She said coldly."Inform Regina and Adrian that we will be joining them shortly."

"No need, dear." said an amused female voice.

We all looked to see Adrian and Regina standing in the doorway. Both of them looked mildly entertained at our little play. I saw that they were dressed in sports memorabilia. Regina wore faded black jeans and sneakers with a white strapless shirt over an opened blue Giants jersey to display some cleavage. Adrian wore a thin dark red Manchester United futbol sweater over a white shirt, the shirt collar overlapping the collar of the sweater, with tan slacks and black loafers. I also noted that Regina had put on some light make up while Adrian had some bookish looking spectacles.

Adrian's gaze flicked to me but he asked Wilhelmina, "What has Doyle done now?"

"Tha little bro — ack!" Doyle began to say before Wilhelmina tightened her grip.

"Doyle insulted Dominick." Wilhelmina said simply. "Which nearly resulted in his death if I had not stopped him."

"Dominick or Doyle?" Regina asked.

"Doyle." I spat.

"How?" Adrian seemed curious. "He is much older."

"He somehow acquired a cane that held a concealed blade." Wilhelmina motioned to sword and sheath. "Doyle was taken by surprise."

"Ryuu was a sword smith was he not?" Adrian picked up the sword and examined the edge. "Fine craftsmanship and the entire edge around the blade is made from silver." He sheathed it and handed back to me. "I never pictured you for a swordsman."

"I'm not." i said

"He speaks the truth." Wilhelmina had yet to release Doyle. "His form is atrocious."

"It's a sword." I said defiantly. "What's so hard about swish, swish, stab?"

"Swish swish stab?" Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Consider yourself fortunate you did sail under my command during my human years. Otherwise I would have had you tied to the mast and flogged."

"So Doyle says his usual annoying crap, Dom nearly takes his head off, and Wilhelmina stops Doyle from actually doing it to Dom." Regina recounted. "Is that it?"

"Pretty much." I said.

"Can we go then?" Regina asked impatiently. "I'm starving."

"Where are we going?" Wilhelmina asked.

"MacLaren's in Manhattan." Adrian answered. "It just opened, but a friend assures me it is quite the hunting ground being a stone's throw from Central Park."

"Give us a few minutes please and we will join you." Wilhelmina finally released Doyle.

They all left my room, though Doyle lingered for a moment as he fixed me with a cold murderous stare before he actually left.

"Here." I turned as Wilhelmina tossed me some clothes from my dresser. "Get dressed."

I stared at clothes in my arms. "I'm coming with you?"

"It has been a year so there is little chance anyone will recognize you. You did not attack a human while you were with Regina which means you have your blood lust under control." Wilhelmina slipped into a pair of my jeans that seemed to fit her quite well once she looped a belt through them. "And quite frankly, I grow tired of making long detours to find murderers and rapists. The sooner you learn to feed yourself, the better."

I quickly dressed, excited to finally leave the confines of the apartment, and noticed Wilhelmina chose the few clothes I had with sports logo. I wore a black long sleeve shirt under an open gray New York Mets jersey with faded blue jeans and my favorite red sneakers. Wilhelmina dressed almost exactly as I did, though she wore a pair of my black jeans and her jersey was New York Yankees rather than Mets. She also tied her long flowing red hair into a ponytail which she slipped through the opening of my only baseball cap, Yankees to match the jersey. I donned that hat I had worn with my suit and found it added a unique look as it matched the color of the long sleeve.

"About Doyle . . ." I began.

"Do not apologize. Not to me and especially not to him" Wilhelmina tied the laces of an old pair of running shoes. "Doyle can be quite insufferable and must be reminded every now and then."

As it turned out, the rest of our nest had grown tired of waiting in the apartment and chose wait outside. Adrian and Regina were surprised for a moment at my presence, but they understood Wilhelmina's intentions and they resumed their normal expressionless position. Doyle eyed my hands, no doubt checking to see if I had brought my sword, and was still clearly trying to decided whether it would be worth killing me. Or perhaps he had already decided and was occupied with finding the best way. Either way, I made a mental note to give the Irishman a wide berth and stay at my maker's side.

"Where is the bar?" I asked. "MacLaren's right?"

Adrian nodded. "As I said, Manhattan. On the corner of eighty-third and Columbus."

"We're in Manhattan." I corrected.

"No, we are in Soho." Adrian said.

"You've been in the city since the the Brooklyn bridge was built." I reminded him.

"Yes."

"Then you should know that Soho isn't one of the five boroughs." I told him. "Is just a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan. Like Williamsburg in Brooklyn."

"Not that I'm enjoying the history lesson." Regina rolled her eyes. "But get to the point."

"Saying MacLaren's is in Manhattan is like saying LA is a city in California." I said. "It covers a lot of ground."

"So what should have I said?" he asked and I think he was mocking me. "To avoid the same blunder in the future."

"The Upper West Side."

"Then let us hurry to MacLaren's in the Upper West Side." He raised an eye brow. "Better?"

"I'll meet you guys there." I began walking to the alley just a few feet to our right.

"Where are you going?" Wilhelmina asked. "The Subway is in the other direction."

"I have my own ride." I said as heard her footsteps behind me. "Plus, I think I just pissed off Adrian along with Doyle. The last thing I need is two older vampires mad at me."

"As I told you, a car is more of a luxury than a necessity in the city." Wilhelmina reminded me. "We will take too long."

"That's why we're not taking a car." I tore off a tarp to reveal the motorcycle. "i used this to get here last night. Thought it might come in handy, so I kept it."

Wilhelmina eyed the bike and I remembered she had told she found it unsettling to ride in cars. "Ryuu's gift along with the sword?"

I nodded. "And this." I held out the remaining ninety-nine thousand dollars. "My cut with a bonus."

"Anything else?"

I thought to Susan for a moment, technically she was part of the rewards Ryuu had given me. "No."

I wheeled the motorcycle onto the curb, Wilhelmina wordlessly following me, and mounted the bike. I kick started the engine and it roared to life, scaring a stray cat out from under a dumpster. I hid at smile as I realized that Wilhelmina found a motorcycle even more unsettling than a car which I found strange. After all, bicycles had been invented a good twenty years before automobiles and motorcycles were simply bicycles with a motor.

"If you're worried about an accident," I offered the helmet. "You can use this."

Her eyes narrowed at me, no doubt certain that I had insinuated she was frightened, but she threw a leg over the seat and wrapped her arms around my waist. I adjusted the mirrors and stowed the helmet in one of the leather bag on the side of bike. Then I kicked up the stand and sped off toward the Upper West side, weaving between cars at a reckless pace.

I went down Broadway and made my first right onto White Street and then took the second right onto Sixth avenue. I followed the street until I merged onto Canal Street which I took until I reached the Holland Tunnel and made a right onto Hudson Street. As luck would have it, traffic was light and moving well until I reached a traffic jam due to the construction on Twelfth Street. The cars went back where Hudson became Bleeker Street and were moving at an inch an hour. So rather than make the slight left and continue on Hudson, I made a slight right and merged onto Eight Avenue which was moving at light speed compared to Hudson all the way past Jackson Square and Penn Station. Traffic did become a bit heavier once we neared Broadway once again at the southwestern corner of Central Park. Rather than take the larger and more occupied Broadway, I took the third exit at the traffic circle onto Central Park West that was practically empty except for the parked cars and a few sleeping homeless bums, sitting against a wall begging for spare change. From there, It was a short trip past the Museum of Natural History on Seventy-seventh Street and a left on West Eighty-third which I took until it crossed with Columbus Avenue.

I parked the motorcycle across the street from MacLaren's and watched as people enter the bar.

I tapped my maker whose grip would have suffocated a normal human. "We're here."

"Already?" She did not relax her grip.

"Yes." I tried to pull her hands from my front. "Now could you stop trying to crush my ribs."

Wilhelmina dismounted the bike and looked around. "The others are not here."

"I saw a subway exit a little farther down on Central Park West." I motioned down the street. "They should be here in a minute or two."

"Good." She eyed a couple crossing the street behind us. "Now when we enter I want you find yourself a corner and observe."

"Observe?" I repeated.

"Watch how we act and how the humans respond to us." Wilhelmina smoothed out the front of her shirt. "You made it very clear the night you were turned that you have no idea what you are doing."

"I didn't hear any complaining a little while ago." I smiled wryly. "Unless clawing my back open is your way of punishing me."

"That is precisely what am talking about." Wilhelmina smirked. "You can make those types of comments with me and other vampires, but you'll find you will not get very far if you plan on seducing women like that."

"Seducing?" I said before thinking. "I thought you just glamored a human into following you into the bathroom."

"And if a human were to notice?" she asked. "You've seen how obvious it is when a human is glamored."

"Also keep mind," said Adrian as he, Regina, and Doyle walked up to us. "Feeding requires some privacy which is nearly nonexistent in public toleits."

"Nice bike there, Peaches." Doyle seemed to have momentarily forget his anger with me. "Where'd ya get it?"

"Andrew's mate took it after he was killed and gave it to me. "I told them. "I guess she didn't want to be reminded or something."

"Well, it is certainty is a better mode of transportation." Adrian admitted. "Considering it's lack of bulk."

"Shall we enter?" Wilhelmina asked.

"_Après avoir_." Adrian stood aside.

To my disappointment, MacLaren's was a sports bar.

That explained why we were all wearing sports memorabilia.

The staff were mostly good looking women wearing mock referee shirts, the top slightly unbutton to display their cleavage, and cut off jean shorts that looked one size too small. They carried pitchers and pints of beer to rowdy fans, mostly male, as they cheered for their favorite teams on the bar's large collection of televisions. Pictures hung along the wall of famous athletes and coaches surround by the scantly clad female staff along with autographed sports equipment, balls and bats mostly. The bar's patrons were what I expected. College students drinking copious amount of the cheapest beer they could afford as they groped their dates, whether they enjoyed it or not made little difference.

"I am in me wick." Doyle exclaimed and nudged Adrian. "Getta load of the buckled clique in the corner. Judging from their Shamrock Rover and Manchester gear, I'd say we found our pick."

Adrian didn't seemed excited as Doyle. "It has been a while since I last spoke with an honest to god Englishman." Adrian shrugged. "Perhaps, I can have intelligent conversation for once."

Adrian and Doyle walked to the two girls sitting at table. They all smiled brightly and invited the two to join them as fellow tourists visiting the Big Apple and enjoying a pint or two of lager and stout. As why they did not simply call it beer, I'd have to ask when we all regrouped at the apartment.

A group of men, members of a fraternity judging from the Greek insignias on their clothes, walked past us. One paused to look back at Regina and smiled before following his friends.

"Unlike Adrian, I'm in the mood for something dumb, thick, and juicy." Regina winked slyly. "Toodles."

I expected Regina to follow the fraternity, but she walked to the edge of the bar. She sat on a stool and was almost immediately approached by fellow Giants fans. She was all smiles and giggles as they offered to buy her drinks and make jokes.

"So corner?" I asked.

"Corner." Wilhelmina agreed. "Though I doubt it will be necessary, we are siblings visiting from France if we require a back story."

"Alright," I said. "Lucky for you, a year is plenty of time to learn a languge."

"What?"

"I had Regina buy me some instructional tapes for me so I could learn French." I said flatly. "With you being from there, I figured I'd learn soon or later. It just seemed like a good way to pass the time."

"_La façon dont c'est votre accent_?" she asked, testing me.

"_J'ai bien peur que vous à me dire_." I responded.

"It needs work."

"I figured as much."

I sat a table in the corner and ordered a glass of whiskey when a cute waitress came to take my order. She brought my ceremonial drink with a smile which I paid for ad gave here a generous tip. I pretended to sip as I switched my gaze from Adrian and Doyle at their table to Regina at the bar and finally to Wilhelmina on the small dance floor.

Adrian was having a meaningful conversation, about futbol from the snippets I caught, with a young brunette. He reminded me of Sean Connery in the James Bond films. Cool and collected with a bit of witty charm and subtle dash of mystery for flavor. The girl seemed be hanging on his every word and giggled at his witty jokes, but she couldn't seem to look him in the eye. She kept looking down at her wineglass before looking back up him and with a shy smile. It was clear that she found the former navy captain attractive, but she was far from ready to jump his bones and might need a little coaxing.

Doyle, on the other hand, was a subtle as flying brick. He was regaling the blonde with tales of his youth as he ordered for more rounds. I guessed Doyle was relying the blonde's lowered inhibition in addition to his charm. He was far more aggressive than Adrian was with his date, but the girl was responding. Not only did she find him funny, judging by the howls of laughter from both of them, she knew what he was after and was making him work for it. She would insult him and he would come with an insult of his own. As they went back and forth, I couldn't help but notice they were not really insulting each other. I realized that when Doyle placed a hand on her knee and she did nothing to make him remove it. In fact, she placed a her hand on his and guided him until he was rubbing her thigh. I guessed the insults were more of a teasing battle of wits, but I left that up for debate.

I turned my attention to Regina's progress at the bar. She was surrounded by young good looking men, but seemed to focus on a young man that appeared to be just old enough to enter the bar. He would occasionally lean in and whisper in her ear which she would respond with a playful slap on the shoulder and a hearty laugh. I also minded how Regina rubbed his calf ever so slowly with the side of her foot as she winked cleverly when he looked down and then back up at her.

As I observed Regina, I felt a throb and I whipped my head to watch my maker. She was standing in front a vintage jukebox, at least it looked vintage as the displays was digital, and pressed a button. Instantly a song began to play. It was a country rock song. It sounded slow but it was just fast enough to dance slowly to, which was Wilhelmina wanted. I watched with interest as every dancer began to find a partner, I was taken by surprise at how they danced. It was more sensual than I expected. Men wrapped their arms around the women's waist from behind, a hand on their stomach while the other held the woman's hand, and the women were not bothered in the slightest being touched by complete strangers. Wilhelmina was dazzling in the way she danced. She danced with everyone and with no one. If anyone came close enough, man or woman, she would bend low with her back to them and slowly, wriggling slightly in tune with the music, brushing her body against theirs. She would also gently pull a human towards her and lightly touch her cheek to their neck. A human would simply guess this beautiful women was simply losing herself to the music, but a vampire would know she was searching for a scent that appealed to her as she lured them to her, all without a single word.

And it seemed I enjoyed Wilhelmina's choice of music.

_Hey, you pretty ladies, are you checking me out?_

_You know I'm the man your mama warn you about_

_Well, I'm tough as nails, the baddest man around_

_Girl, if you wanna rock, I'll turn world upside down._

_You wanna cause some trouble? (Cause some trouble)_

_You wanna cause some trouble? (Cause some trouble)_

_If you wanna cause some trouble, then baby I'm your man_

_Got an old Super Bee, cruising one oh five_

_Pedal to the metal baby, it's the only way to drive._

_I live on the edge, seven days a week_

_So come along honey, if you can stand the heat_

I spent the next couple of hours observing and finding unorthodox methods of draining my glass of Johnny Walker whiskey. Another waitresses whisked away the glass, the contents carefully and strategically spread among near empty glasses of beer and the faux plants, and brought me a fresh glass. Like before, I paid for my drink with a generous tip for which I received a wink and a warm smile. I was watching the young man that Regina had been speaking with, leading her by the hand out of the bar and mostly leading himself to his own death, when I felt another throb. But this was different. It was not a subtle signal for my attention, but direct summon to be at my maker's side.

Normally I would have reached her in seconds, but using my vampire speed would have drawn far too much attention and questions. So I gently waded through the waitstaff and patrons, nearly showered with beer for my trouble several times, until I reached Wilhelmina. I quickly scanned the crowd for signs of danger, but all i saw were dancing humans. And that was all I could smell, besides the disgusting aroma of stale beer.

"Dominick!" Wilhelmina exclaimed in very convincing french accented english. She kissed both my cheeks and wrapped her arms around my neck. "Dance with me!"

She turned her back to me and placed my hand on her stomach. I was never much of a dancer, but it dose not take much skill to sway from side to side to the beat of the music while your partner rubs against like a one very large, and very affectionate, cat. She placed a hand over mine and ran her free hand through the hair on the right side of my hair. For all intents and purposes, we looked liked two young teenagers dancing together, but Wilhelmina did not do anything without a reason.

I leaned in and whispered, continuing to sway to the music. "What's the problem?"

She whispered in return, "There is a human who will not leave me be."

"He probably thinks you're just playing hard to get." I told her. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"He left to use the restroom." She motioned to set of door in the corner.

"And you think when he sees you dancing with me, he'll take the hint." I concluded. "Are you forgetting that I'm barely five foot six and just over a hundred and fifteen pounds of skin and bones? He's going to take one look at me and — "

I felt a tap on my shoulder and heard an annoyed voice. "Mind if I cut in?"

"— just get mad." I sighed.

I turned around and we both froze.

The human and I knew each other.

He was just i remembered him. Those broad thick shoulders that he adored to show off during a halftime, squat thrusting with an unattainable cheerleader on each side. Biceps thicker than my thighs, a combination of genes and years of football drills. His bright blonde hair, cropped short, matched his well kept mustache and goatee. Much to my chagrin, he still had those Adonis looks that, combined with his title as the starting quarterback, practically made him a king during our shared four years of high school.

It would have been more than the standard four if he had not persuaded me to tutor him, using the words 'persuade' and 'tutor' is their loosest sense. In reality, he had threatened and tormented me into during his schoolwork for him. It is a cliche, I know, but cliches were all he knew. He unorginally slapped books out of my hands, unimaginatively locked me in the girl's changing room, and plagiaristically beat me within an inch of my life if I did not help him maintain the bare minimum grade average to retain his elegbility to play for the high school football team. I did try to inform my teachers and schools other authority figures, but it only resulted with a slap on the wrist for him and something much harder than a slap for me later on. I told myself it would all come back to bite him when exams were administered. I might be able to help him slide by on homework and schoolwork, but he would be at sea when a teacher or the state decided it was time for an exam. But unfortunately, the teachers wished for the school to end its unglamorous losing streak and were a little generous when they graded his own work and the work of his fellow team mates.

The last I saw of him, he had just been accepted into Penn State on a full scholarship while I had went from part time to full time employment.

"Dominick?" He was confused by my new undead complexion. "Dominick Valentino?"

My eyes flicked to Wilhelmina for a moment. "I think you have me confused with someone else."

"No, no. It is you" He smiled fondly and embraced me as if our relationship had actually been pleasant. "How ya been?"

"Dominick?" Wilhelmina asked still using her stereotypical french accent. "You know this person?"

"This Brian Vesly." I said. "Brian, this is — "

"Sophia." Brian finished for me.

So Wilhelmina had used a fake name.

"My sister." I said.

He grabbed both our wrist and dragged us to a nearby table. He signaled a waitress to gather up the empty beer mugs and told her bring three fresh ones. Once the waitress assured us she'd return as quickly as she could, Brian turned his attention back to use.

"So Dominick, I didn't know you had a sister." His words were directed at me, but his gaze never left my maker. "And with a sexy french accent to boot."

"She's my half sister." I lied.

"Really?" he asked. "How did you two meet?"

"I was visiting America on holiday." Wilhelmina continued with her accent and affectionately kissed me cheek. "And he was so sweet. My sister took me to a party a friend of hers was having at a club," She patted my knee. "My little Dommy was the bartender."

"Little Dommy?" Brian snickered.

"She actually older than me." I said, feeling my fangs beginning to tingle. "My dad was visiting France with his brother before he met my mother and had a one night stand with a woman, Sophie's mother."

"Man, that's gotta suck." Brian guffawed. "You finally meet a girl, a hot french girl, and she turns out to be your sister."

I did my best to keep a straight face. "I guess I have bad luck picking women."

"You two didn't . . . you know." Brian smirked.

"Oh, he was disappointed as I was." Wilhelmina kissed my cheek. "But that cute face is so . . . _tempting_ sometimes." Wilhelmina actually faked a giggle. "And such a wonderful singing voice, I'm surprised women are not throwing themselves at him."

"I'm not." Brian chuckled. "He wasn't much of player in high school. Nasty rumors spread around school about the . . . well, he had small feet if you get my drift."

I am sure if I had been holding a glass, I would have crushed it. So I coldly said, "Things tend to shrink when it's below freezing."

"What do you mean?" Wilhelmina asked.

"Oh, it was hilarious." Brian smiled fondly and chuckled. "Junior year we have the biggest snow storm in a decade. So me and a couple of guys grab little Dommy here while he's in the shower and tossed him buck naked into the snow and locked the doors." He wiped a tear as laughed. "Next thing we knew, we heard a bunch of screams from the girl's locker room." Brian pointed to me. "Tell her, Dom, you were there."

"I tried to climb in through an unlocked window and the girl's volleyball team was changing for practice." I felt my voice grow colder and colder as I forced my fangs to stay retracted. "I was almost expelled for indecent exposure and almost labeled sex offender."

"But turns out an outside security camera caught us tossing him out." Brian shrugged like it hardly mattered. "Boy, did we pay for that."

"You were suspended from football." I reminded him. "For a week after the season was finished a month later."

"We would have lost the championship game." He said simply. "Not my fault the board took so long deciding whether they wanted to take it to a court."

I stood up, not trusting myself to not rip his throat. _"Allons, Sophie, nous partons. Avant de boire le sécher et à tuer tout le monde ici_."

Wilhelmina smiled her signature ghost smile. "About time."

Brian did nothing as I walked away, but he grabbed Wilhelmina's wrist. "Why don't we let little Dommy cool off and get to know each better. I mean, it's not like you two are together." He wriggled his eyebrow to indicate his intention.

I became an erect statue, my fangs extending fully and l was grateful that I had kept my mouth firmly closed. How dare this human lay his feeble hands on my Wilhelmina? Had it not been enough that he gotten away Scot free for all the torment he caused me? That he went on to prestigious college for simply throwing a ball to another person without paying a single cent? That he had obliterated any chances I had of being accepted into even a community college because no school wanted bad publicity despite my near perfect grade point average and high SAT's score? If this cretin did not guard his tongue better or learn some humility in the next few seconds, he would be a dead man. Not a dead man walking like myself, but a plain dead man. The kind that stayed dead and unmoving as maggots devoured his withered husk of a body after I was done.

I succeeded in retracting my fangs before I spoke, "Brian . . ."

"Yes, Dommy?" he asked mockingly.

"Let go of her hand." I warned.

"Looks like someone grew pair." he remarked.

"This isn't high school anymore." I repeated. "Let go of her hand."

"You're right, this ain't school anymore." I heard the chair scrap against the floor as he stood. "But that don't mean still can kick your ass."

I actually welcomed his attempt. "I'm afraid it dose."

"Wanna put that to the test?"

"Go ahead." i said. "You can have the first move for old time's sake." I turned around to face. "Make it count."

In my human life, I was aware it was the adrenaline in my blood that made things appear to move in slow motion. But now it was slow motion. Brian took eons to pull him arm back and form a fist. He took even longer to throw the arm forward into a punch I was all too familiar with. Just as his massive fist was to collide with my face, I moved in and seized him up by his throat before slamming his massive body onto hardwood floor. I'm sure people stopped to gawk and wonder what would happen next, but all I saw was Brian's shocked face as I slowly tightened my grip and couldn't comprehend how my hand refused to budge despite his futile attempts to remove it.

"Dominick!" squeaked Wilhelmina and I felt her pretend to pull me off. "_Laisser aller_!" Then she leaned and ordered in a whisper. "Now!"

Much my chagrin, my hand left Brian's throat and he began to cough and gag.

I stood up, continuing to stare daggers, and felt Wilhelmina wrap her arms around me and whispered another order. "As your maker, I command you to return to the apartment and await our return."

I ignored the gawking patrons and waitstaff, even the bartender that had drawn a bat from under the bar, and left. I crossed the street , mounted my motorcycle, and raced back to Soho like a bat out of the the mouth of hell. Despite the countless red lights and traffic laws I broke on my way back, no police pulled me over which was just as well. I probably would have drained couple in the mental state I was in. I reached the apartment in just over a half hour and took the elevator to the twelfth floor to room 221B. I noticed a Chinese takeout menu hung on the doorknob. It was called the Golden Dragon Wok and was boasting authentic Chinese cuisine. I ripped the menu and tossed onto the coffee table along with the keys to the apartment. I sank into an armchair and stared into space. The ride back had calmed me down somewhat, but I was still fuming.

And to top things off, I was hungry.

The takeout menu caught my attention. "Hmm . . ."

I was toying around on the piano when I heard a knock on the door forty five minutes later, "Golden Dragon! Steamed vegetable and chicken."

I dashed and snatched up my cane. I leaned on the cane in what I hoped was convincing position and open the door. "Yes, that's for me."

The Asian man, somewhere in his late twenties, held up the food. "Fourteen fifty."

I stood aside, "Do you think you could put it on the table, please?"

He obliged without a word and I closed the door behind him quietly. I did my best to hobble as I pretended to reach for my wallet. "Thank you. I'd do it myself, but my leg has other ideas. That's the last time I go rock climbing for a while."

"No problem." He politely held out his hand for the money.

I looked down at the hand, "Sorry about this."

"Huh?"

Like Brian, I seized him by the throat before he even registered I'd moved, "I said I'm sorry, but I'm hungry."

With that I sank my fangs into his neck, my free hand covering his mouth to muffle his screams.

Half an hour later, I was in my room reading through a the latest issue of Ultimate Spiderman. Like I had with Cindy, I did not drain the delivery man completely. I healed the punctures on his neck and glamored him, suggesting nothing out of the ordinary had happened. I also suggested he eat the food he had brought, which I also paid for, and tell his boss he needed the rest of the night off so he recover from the slight blood loss. I'm surprised I did not think of this sooner. There were thousands upon thousands that delivered food to your doorstep. And since robots had yet to be implemented, that meant humans had to deliver the order. It was so simple. Order something random off a menu and roughly a half hour later your meal would arrive. Of course the tradition was to eat the food the human carried not the human's blood, but the foundation was still the same. The human would also be safe from harm, relatively speaking, as killing him would lead a police investigation to your home. All it required was a vampire that had been taught to glamor.

In a few short years, I would have quite the lucrative business, but more on that later.

I continued reading and I heard the sounds of Regina and Doyle laughing like merry idiots. I assumed it had been a good hunt, despite my little outburst in the bar, they were swapping stories. I may not heard Wilhelmina or Adrian, but I could smell them as well as a human. I went back to my comicbook, not wanting to explain myself, and ignored Wilhelmina's light footsteps toward my room.

I heard the door creak open and a thud on the floor to my left.

I put down my comic book and saw Brian on the floor. Then I looked up to see Wilhelmina close the door with a smirk and a wink.

"Dominick?" Brian looked up at me. "We need to get out of here."

"Really?" I asked calmly

He stood up and tried the door only to find it locked. He then turned around and i watched as he found the closet lead nowhere and there were no windows. Even there had been, this room sat on the twelfth floor.

"You can stare at the walls all you want." I said, returning to my comic book. "But that door is the only way out."

"How can you be so calm?!" He demanded. "We're gonna die if we don't get out of here!"

"You don't say." I turned a page and found I reached the end. "Already? I swear they're making shorter."

"Fuck you then!" He began pounding the door in desperation. "Hey, let me out!"

To my surprise, I heard the door open and Wilhelmina say. "Keep it down. Some people are trying to sleep at this hour."

Then I heard Brian fly through the air and land with another thud.

I stood, walked to my maker, and we both watched Brian eye Wilhelmina with terror.

"What are you?" he asked.

Wilhelmina's ignored him and spoke to me, "Not very bright."

"Tell me about." I said.

"Well, he has not figured out what we are." she offered.

I raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't being literal. I meant that I agreed."

"You mean I was preaching to the choir?"

"Kinda."

"Well, perhaps when you are finished." She pulled me close and gave me a quick, but passionate, deep kiss and winked slyly when we parted. "We can call out to God together."

"Or go hoarse trying." I assured.

I closed the door behind Wilhelmina and locked it just Brian regained his voice. "That's not your sister!"

"So you finally put it together?" I asked.

"Sophie's a vampire!" he whispered. "She's hypnotizing you into thinking she's your sister."

"Glamoring." I squatted by him.

"What?"

"We call it glamoring, not hypnosis."

"Whatever." He leaned closer and continued whispering. "Didn't you hear me? She's a vampire. God only knows how long she's been around doing this to people."

"A couple centuries short of a thousand." I told him.

"What?"

"She became a vampire in 1305." I said. "That makes her just under seven hundred years old. Give or take a year or two."

"How do you all that?"

"She told me."

Brian's breathing became heavy and quick as he tried to calm down. I continued watching him curiously without a word. Then he looked at me with cautiously. No doubt he ha noticed a few things. How I had gotten so strong and pale to name a few things.

"You said we." He gulped.

"What?"

"When I said she was hypnotizing you." I chest was heaving now. "You said that 'we' call it glamoring."

"So?"

"You said 'we'" he repeated, his eyes darting between me and the door. "Not they call it glamoring, we call it glamoring."

I smiled, fully extending my fangs, "I suppose I did."

Like I expected him to, Brian screamed at the top of his lungs and made a mad and desperate dash for the door. I caught him, my hand gripping the back his neck like a cat, just his hand jiggled the doorknob. I then threw him onto the bed and he stared back at me as he crawled back until he reached the wall opposite me.

"L-l-l-look D-D-Dominick" He stuttered. "I-I-If y-you're s-s-still mad about all that stuff I did b-b-back in school." He gulped. "I was a dick, I get it. I'm sorry." Tears began to form in his eyes. "P-p-p-please . . . d-d-don't . . ."

"Relax." I said. "I'm not going to kill you."

"Y-y-you're not?"

"No." As soon as he blinked, I was a inch from his face laying on top of him. "But that's doesn't I'm not hungry."


	8. Hunting and Baiting

We all sat in the living room following my night with Brian. Adrian was reading one of my comic books with his feet crossed on an armchair. Regina was occupying herself painting her nails peach pink to match the toenails she had only finished a few minutes before. And Doyle was listening to music on a portable CD player. Like Adrian did every night, I read the newspaper. Normally I skipped straight to the comic strips, but it was the sports section that held my attention this time. As I read, I felt Wilhelmina hovering over my shoulder and I felt at ease when I caught her scent.

"Oy, Peaches!" Doyle barked, apparently grown bored of Flogging Molly.

I turned the page of a newspaper. "Yeah, Doyle?"

"Tell me something," he asked. "Why didn't ya kill that cheeky bastard? Can't tell ya how gobsmacked I was when I saw 'im just stroll out like he was his way fer a pint."

I turned another page. "Why do you ask?"

"Just seems off ta me." Doyle said. " 'ell, I went back ta Dublin when I was turned and gave Father Hennessy a few pointers." He chuckled. " 'Couse he didn't get a chance ta put 'em to use, but they say teachin' it's own reward."

"You lost me." I set down the paper. "Are you telling me you were molested?"

"I don't see why you are surprised." Adrian commented from behind the latest copy of The Dark Knight. "The church has being much worse things. I could name quite a few before even reaching the Crusades."

"Murder, rape, espionage. That's the catholic church for ya." Doyle continued his story. "In fact, if the priests weren't fiddling with ya back in me day, then ya were one of the ugly kids. Point is, just about every vampire goes back to settle a score or two."

"Settle a score?" I repeated. "interesting way of putting it."

"So why didn't ya kill 'im?" Doyle asked again.

"Doyle, Doyle, Doyle." I shook my head in mock disappointment. "Have some creativity."

"Ya don't wanna see how creative I can be." Doyle warned. "Now are ya gonna tell me or not?"

I handed him the newspaper. "Here, go to the sports section. Second to last page."

While I had fed from Brian, I did not kill him.

Oh no, I had something much more entertaining in mind.

Once I finished feeding, I glamored him. I suggested that he should stay out the night before his next game enjoying himself, drinking a generous amount of alcohol and a few light pharmaceuticals to liven up the night. Of course he should remember his responsibilities, spending the day by running and weight training without a single drop of water or food so he could learn to ignore things like dehydration and hunger during a game. Granted, I was not a doctor and didn't know that a sudden change to his routine would be quite the shock to his system. And since I did not know that, I could not be held responsible when he fainted just as the opposing team blitzed him, resulting in a broken arm and ankle, and would be forced to sit out for a large portion of the season. But as anyone could tell you, Brian was not a quick learner and would continue to do this until he was finally cut from the team. Once he was cut off from the team, his scholarship cut him off. Luckily his parents had well paying careers and it allowed him to continue his education, much to his displeasure. I would eventually learn, almost a decade later, he became a high school gym teacher with a drinking problem.

I might have felt guilty, but I surprisingly didn't. I thought it strange at first, then I took note of a few things. My outburst when Doyle had interrupted Wilhelmina and I in bed as well as my outburst with Brian in Macleran's. How much satisfaction I had gotten from Brian's terrified expression when he realized I was a vampire and how excited I became as he screamed and cried for mercy as I fed from him. Then there was what Wilhelmina had said when I suggested we leave before I drained Brian dry, about time. She was not referring to finally getting away from the pathetic human, but to me and what had taken much longer to fade.

Wilhelmina was now standing next to me and gently brought my head closer to her. My head resting gently on her hip as she scratched behind my ear like I would a cat. "_Je me demande quand ce allait arriver_."

"_Moi aussi_." I said.

"Are you finished, Regina?" Wilhelmina asked.

Regina examined her nails, "Just about."

"Do you want me to stay?" I asked looking up at my maker. "I mean, after what happened . . ."

"You are still young." Wilhelmina said gently. "It was to be expected, but do try to keep yourself in check."

"So where are we going?" Doyle asked. "I know this little 'ole in the wall on East Fifth Street in East Village."

"Is it another sport's bar?" I asked.

"I guess ya wouldn't be a fan," Doyle chuckled. "Don't get ya knickers in a twist, Peaches. Sophie's just a plain pub. I've been meaning pop in fer a while now. It's been ages since I've seen Clara."

"Clara?"

"Oh sweet little bird." Doyle said in a way that made me certain he was not speaking of the girl's character. "I had her grandmother, mother, and aunt in me younger nights when I was new to this fine grand country." Doyle winked. "Last time I saw her, she was a little baby just learning ta walk. Figured I'd give her some time to ripen, so to speak."

"And If by some chance she recognized you, she'll just chalk it up to a coincidence." I concluded. "Not only was she just a baby, it's impossible that you hadn't aged a day since she last saw you."

"Right ya are, Peaches." Doyle looked to Regina. "Well, love?"

Regina smiled fondly at how her nails caught the light, "I'm done."

From there for the next eight months I continued my, for the lack of a better word, education. Like my first night at Macleran's. I would sit unnoticed in a corner pretending to sip whiskey as I observed and took note how my maker seduced and interacted with humans. Wilhelmina did not limit herself, or me for that matter, to just simply bars, though all of them served alcohol.

Wilhelmina decided to take me to strip clubs as a good starting point, which I had found uncomfortable as a human — who wanted to spend hundreds of dollars to have a woman take of her clothing in front you and not have sex? — but Wilhelmina enjoyed them. She claimed it was like having an appetizer, all the food on display and the pent up lust in air, and all she had to was simply find a man and ask to go home with him after he had been rejected from a dancer. She warned me to avoid trying to seduce the dancers since they spent the entire night been propositioned for sex and knew every trick in the book. One might go home with me, but the chances were slim even I had been an expert in wooing and courting. Wilhelmina suggested to stay with the patrons as they were the easiest or the occasional member of the waitstaff. Whether it was Ladies Night or not mattered very little to Wilhelmina , or Regina when she tagged along, and commented it would be easier for me if did not limit myself to only women, but I was adamant about that. I might feed from a man and I bored no ill will to those that did, but I would not mate with one. As humans would say, you can become bored with even with your most favorite dish. So while we did visit strip clubs quite frequently, we visited other hunting grounds.

I did not simply watch and mimic what I saw and heard. I devoured book after book, each with more helpful ways to charm and seduce women than the next. If there is one thing I learned from watching and reading, it is I had been going about it in the most worst way. Instead of regarding women as creatures that had to coaxed, persuaded, or tricked into sleeping with men, I should have treated them as people. I am not sure where the stereotype came from that only men desired casual sex, but it was gravely wrong. As it turned out, they had the same wants and desires as men. Granted, I may make it sound black and white, but it was a massive grey area. From what i saw, there'd be just as many men looking for only sex as the men looking to make connection and form a lasting relationship. And the same went for the women. In short, the only real differences between the sexes were purely cosmetic, meaning some men wanted what some women wanted and trick was finding them.

After two months of observing, Wilhelmina had me actually practice what I learned and approach women. My first attempts resulted in polite rejections at best, but all journeys begin somewhere. I did eventually improve and my confidence grew, but I was not after phone numbers like I had been when I was human. I required women mature enough to understand they wanted nothing more than a bedmate for the night and wouldn't be bothered if they never saw me again. I required the highly sought after One night stand, the classic Wham! Bam! And thank you ma'am. It was either that or hunt like Wilhelmina had done with her maker in the middle ages, waiting in the dark to rape and drain a human who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and dispose of the body once I finished.

It was during the fourth month, September, that I finally succeeded. It was in Arthur's Tavern, a jazz bar, on the corner of Grove Street and Seventh Avenue South. I tended to have better luck in places that boasted old music, namely old jazz and swing. I was scanning the crowd, doing my best to not look like a predator, when a girl walked in roughly my age. This woman reminded me of an innocent gazelle. She had large brown eyes that were like two cute little acorns. Her fine, straight, jet black hair tumbled freely just past her shoulders. She had a healthy build, neither scrawny or bursting with muscle like a body builder. Her dress was beautiful yet practical. It ended just over her knees, displaying her smooth cream-colored legs and small delicate feet. I watched with interest as she gazed around the bar, not lingering on anyone in particular, and crossed her legs as she sat at the bar and waited for the bartender to notice her.

"Go on." Wilhelmina said.

I had forgotten she was sitting next to me, pretending to nurse a cosmopolitan. "What?"

She motioned to the girl I was watching, "She seems to be alone. Go and try your luck."

I took a seat at the bar one stool over from her. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as she ordered a drink from the bartender. He quickly made it and placed in front of her on a napkin. She paid and gave him a nice tip and a polite smile for his effort and he went back to chatting up the two girls at the end of the bar.

"And here I thought you'd catch it." I said.

She made a sort of choking sound and dabbed at her mouth with the napkin. "Excuse me?"

I pointed to her glass. "He got your drink wrong."

She looked at her glass before looking back at me. "A scotch on the rocks."

"There's more rock than scotch." I told her. "You don't want anymore than two or three at most, otherwise you water down the scotch."

"Really?"

"Really." I took the seat next her. "My name is Dominick."

"Heather." She eyed me curiously. "I was wondering how long it would be before I got hit on."

"Me too." I smiled. "But it's never the pretty ones. It's always the pathetic desperate one who won't even look you in the eye." I pointed to my face. "I mean, my eyes are up here."

"Oh it must be so hard for you." she teased.

"It's a curse," I faked a sigh. "So can I buy you a real drink?"

"If you insist."

I signaled the bartender. He seemed to be annoyed that I was tearing him away from the girls at the end of the bar, but he came over. "Yes?"

"Glenlivet Scotch." I put some money on the table. "A fresh glass with two cubes."

We continued conversing. She talked about our mutual liking of jazz and swing music. I joked and teased in which she responding with a bit of teasing of her own. She told she found me witty and charming while told her I found her shallow and pedantic. We went back and forth like two children, all the while smiling and eying each other suggestively. I continued to buy her drinks, luckily not commenting on my lack, and we continued in our childish battle of wits. As the night wore on, I caught sight of Wilhelmina and she seemed to be nodding approvingly as pretended to listen as man went on about rock climbing and jumping out of airplanes. I was not sure how well I was doing, but I had my answer when I noticed she placed her hand on mine and sort of seemed to linger. On a whim, I placed my hand on her knee and smiled sweetly.

"You feel a little cold." She placed a hand over mine.

"Actually you're just a little warm." I assured.

"I think you mean hot." She giggled.

"That too." I winked. "Are you alright to get home?"

"Hmm." Heather seemed to be considering something. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I wanna walk you home." I said. "You'd be surprised how many dangerous things are out there."

"Well, aren't you the perfect little gentleman." She leaned and whispered.

"Oh, I'm not little." I leaned and whispered back, "And I'm not always gentle."

"Well, I got some moves that might surprise you." She giggled and pecked me on the lips. "Okay, you can walk me home." She stood and held out her hand. "And then we'll see who's more dangerous."

I decided not howl with laughter, though I came close, and allowed her to lead me out of the bar. She put and arm over my shoulder and wrapped mine around her waist to pull her closer. As we exited, I glanced over me shoulder and saw Wilhelmina slow dancing with the same man I saw her with before. She smiled and nodded once approvingly before whispering in his ear.

Needless to say, Heather learned the hard way which one of us was more lethal, and it was not her. That wasn't to say she did not enjoy herself. The way she called out to god and screamed my name as she climaxed, her nails digging into my back, she enjoyed herself immensely. Then it all came crashing down when I bit her. Well the bite not so much as I'm sure I timed it so she hardly felt a thing, but from the muffled screams behind my hand clamped over her mouth, I took it to mean she took offense to me drinking her blood. Once I finished, not having killed her, I glamored her and healed her neck. I concluded it would not be smart to kill her as I never disposed of a body and I could not think of a convincing method to stage a cause of death that would fool the authorities. Then there was the practical argument. If I had killed her, that meant there would be on less human to feed on. One human, over the course of a single year, could feed dozens upon dozens of vampires. I think there is a similar argument about not wasting food when there are many starving children in the less stable parts of the world.

While Heather would be the first of many, I did not suddenly hold all the secrets and women fought tooth and nail to spend just one night with me. After my night with her, things went back to how they had been, but with one slight improvement. Slowly, but surely, I began to improve. At first, I would be lucky to succeed one night out of the week, two if I was particularly unlucky. But then one became the norm, then two, then three. And it was the second week of October that I finally succeed in feeding myself seven nights in succession. Of course when that happened, Wilhelmina informed me that she would no longer supply humans should I fail.

Rather than argue, Wilhelmina would have simply ordered me not to if I had, I took note of a few things. Each one of my nestmates had something that attracted humans to them, Regina and Wilhelmina could do so by simply sitting at a table, or rather played roles like actors on a stage. Doyle, the rugged and boastful Irishman, had his storytelling combined with his chocolate for the ears Irish brogue. Many a woman, and occasional man, would surround him and hung on his every word and idiom as he told stories, often fabricated I assumed, and made dirty jokes. Adrian had his regal demeanor along with his english accent which, like Doyle, the women absolutely devoured. His approach was far more subtle and refined. He was the upstanding stoic polite Englishman. He made women, or men, believe he was not hitting on them like so many American men, but gently courting and wooing their hearts like it had been done in the courts of Queen of Elizabeth. Regina was the wild cougar, in every sense of the word except literal, on the prowl for some fun and a quick one night fling. And my Wilhelmina was, a card she loved to play, the sexually uninhibited french redhead visiting America.

But what was I?

I had come to learn I was not hideously disfigured as I thought to be while I had been alive, but nether was I drop dead gorgeous. So I needed something to get my foot in the door, figuratively speaking, a hook for the lack of a better word. Then I recalled the night I was turned and how people seemed to like my voice and musical ability. Then the tasteless musicals I participated to gain Christine's eye during our high school years. And finally what Wilhelmina said to Brian, ' ._ . . such a wonderful singing voice, I'm surprised women are not throwing themselves at him_.' I asked if Wilhelmina truly meant her words and assured me so.

"You would have made an excellent bard had you been born in my time." She said one night. "I met a vampire in Venice, Pietro, who merely had to strum a lute during the Renaissance to find a meal and a bed for the night."

So armed with knowledge that I did indeed possess a talent, i sought out a karaoke bar. As it turned out, there was one close by on Grand and Layffette in Little Italy, according to Regina. She claimed it was really the only place within walking distance where she could hear the music from her time, the 1960's. Granted, there was the likely chance someone would butcher the song or two and patrons tended to stick to the 1980's, but it was worth the tiny annoyances. The bar's location was barely a block from three cheap motels, the perfect place for a quick bite. More for vampires as I recall the taste of overcooked cheap coffee to be horrendous.

I dressed in a dark grey dress shirt tucked into a pair midnight black pants which I looped a belt through. Rather than wear my pair of polished leather loafers, I opted for my red sneakers for a bit a color and avoid being overly formal. I donned my hat and pocketed my cigarette case and lighter. Wilhelmina accompanied me, wearing those low cut jeans with the leather cords lacing up the sides and a light blue blouse that she made sure to leave the top buttons unfastened to display some cleavage and a mock silver necklace I bought from a street vendor when I caught her admiring it out of the corner of her eye.

We entered Baby Grand at little after eleven. As I expected, there was a fair amount of people to celebrate the arrival of the highly anticipated weekend. The bartender was occupied serving drinks to a young couple while others danced to the blond singing the most irritating song I've ever heard. Granted, I enjoyed the song during my human life, but it just brought up frightening memories for me now. luckily, Daryl Hall and John Oates were not in the bar. Otherwise, the cleaning staff would find blood, bones, and organs when the bar closed.

_She'll only come out at night_

_The lean and hungry type_

_Nothing is new, I've seen her here before_

_Watching and waiting_

_She's sitting with you but her eyes are on the door_

_So many have paid to see_

_What you think you're getting for free_

_The woman is wild, a she-cat tamed by the purr of a Jaguar_

_Money's the matter_

_If you're in it for love you ain't gonna get too far._

"Dominick?." Wilhelmina eyed me carefully, "Remember what I said about keeping yourself in check?"

I reached into my breast pocket. "I am."

"Barely." she said. "While you do need to learn to clean up after yourself, I am in no mood tonight."

"I'm trying." I removed a blood soaked cigarette from my case, a parting gift from Brian.

"A vampire is never at the mercy of his emotions." Wilhelmina's voice grew serious. "He dominates them." She stepped in front me and I saw her face match her voice. "_Dominus, Dominor, Dominare_. Do you understand? Your very name means to master and control."

"Alright, I get it." I lit a cigarette and began to feel calmer. I blew out a small cloud of pink tinted smoke. "But you know Rome wasn't built in a day."

"That was before my time." Wilhelmina said "I was born several centuries after the fall of the Roman empire and turned well after that."

I rolled my eyes, but refrained from pointing out I was being sarcastic. Wilhelmina had no doubt given up staying up to date on modern slang long before I was even born and i doubted anything I said would change that.

We both ordered mock drinks from the bar, a screwdriver for Wilhelmina and a glass of scotch for myself. We both sat at a table in the corner and watched others take the small stage and sing. As far as bars went, it was as typical as it could be. The floors were made of the same polished wood as the bar and tables. The walls were painted black and white to resemble piano keys, I guessed that was where the name Baby Grand came from, with photographs of patrons and staff during various holiday parties on the shorter black keys. The stage where the karaoke machine sat was simply a raised platform against the far wall overlooking the dance floor. There was a set of steps to enter and exit, they might as well have not existed for such a small height, and curtains and columns were paint so the platform resembled a legitimate stage one would see in any school in the country.

Wilhelmina eventually left my side when a group of pouting girls sat a table only a few feet away from us. From the little snippets I caught during a particularly appalling rendition of Billy Joel's My life, every single one of them had forgotten to bring their fake ID's and the bartender was adamant about not serving to minors. They were also complaining about how legally they were adults, but could not purchase a simple drink at a bar. One of the girl's suggested finding and seducing a man to buy drink for them, but she was shot down. Not only would no man buy drinks for three underaged girls, but all three were lesbians and were not about to even pretend otherwise for a few cocktails. I suppose I should applaud them for their conviction and staying true to themselves, but it wouldn't have made a difference to me one way or their other.

But it made a difference to Wilhelmina who just happened to be in _that_ mood that night. She whispered, "Well, it looks as if I found my meal."

I eyed her out of the corner of my eye and whispered. "Try a three course meal."

"Do not look a gift horse in the mouth." She said plainly. "As I have told you before, it would make thing much easier if you did not limit yourself to only women." She motioned to girls. "We have not even been here an hour and I am only a few drinks away."

"Eat bitter and taste sweet." I said. "Where's the fun if there's no challenge?"

Wilhelmina rolled her eyes at me, "_À chacun ses goûts_"

I pretended to sip my drink as Wilhelmina went to their table. I hid a smile as I heard her slip into a french accent. One would think she would grow tired of that ploy, but there is no point in repairing something that has yet to be broken.

"_Excusez-moi_, but may I join you?" She asked cheerfully.

"Um, sure." said one of the girls. "This Jenna, Linda, and I'm Samantha.

"_Merci_." I heard the sound of a chair scrapping the ground as she took a seat. "I am Wilhelmina."

"Are you french?" asked Linda. "Like, from France?"

"_Oui_. I am, how you say, visiting." Wilhelmina giggled. "That is correct, no?"

I left Wilhelmina to her conquest and walked to stage as a burly young man finished obliterating Sinatra's New York, New York. From the jeering and catcalls, I think the crowd would find the sound of a cat being gutted quite soothing compared to what they had just heard, which was in my favor. I stepped onto the stage and sorted through a long list of songs.

"Something good!" bellowed a woman in the corner.

I smiled when I found a song I was familiar with and tapped the microphone. "This is Music Is Better Than Words. And maybe afterward someone can do Kurt Cobain's follow-up, Pot Is Better Than Music." I chuckled as some of the crowd laughed. "But I'll do this first."

The music began softly, a full orchestra, as I began to sing slowly. As I sang, the music was fluttery and whimsical. Like a butterfly in the forest in the height of spring. It was uplifting as well as soothing, but it was playful too. To me, it radiated warm and safety.

_When you get all set to go into your big love scene _

_The night must be right _

_The mood must be slow_

_The wine must be high _

_And the lights must be low _

_And I recommend some music in the background_

_For when you're fumbling for the right words to say . . . _

_You'll find that music will go a long way!_

Then the music grew a bit faster while still retaining its playful feeling, and even began sound blissfully teasing. I continued adding my voice to the music and was surprised I did not hear any protests to my rendition. Either I was doing better than I sounded or I was so terrible they were at a lost for words and actions.

_Music is better than words _

_You break the spell when you start to speak _

_That technique is all wrong_

_Just forget about words and sing 'er a song_

_Music was made for romance_

_Love and a sweet song go hand in gloves_

_Every lover knows this _

_And the sweeter the song, the sweeter the kiss!_

As the song reached its break, I saw people dancing. Everyone had a partner and seemed to be enjoying themselves. Those that sat, tapped their feet and bob their heads along with music. I caught Wilhelmina, holding Jenna close as they danced, nod once in approval. I also noticed some women, and men, were watching me. Unless I was mistaken, and George Clooney was directly behind me, they seemed to be looking at me, some even winking suggestively. I smiled wryly and returned the wink before reaching the last verse.

_Don't let the night go to waste _

_Lookin' for ways to say "I love yoooou" _

_Take your cue from the biiiiiirds _

_Music . . . _

_Music is betteeeeeeer . . . _

_Music is better than woooooooords!_

The song ended.

And to my surprise, I was reward with applause. It was not a standing ovation one would see at a Broadway play, but it still nice. I said my thanks and stepped down. I returned to my table and most of the crowd returned to theirs, though some stayed. The dancing resumed once another brave soul found the nerve to take the stage. fortunately, the crowded enjoyed his choice to liven thing considerably with Micheal Jackson's PYT. I saw Wilhelmina, and her three new friends each with drink in hand, dance with great enthusiasm. So much so, Jenna did not seem to mind when Wilhelmina planted a quick kiss. Samantha and Linda looked part jealous and part shocked, but not so much they did not discourage Wilhelmina rubbing against them only a moment later.

Wilhelmina had centuries to master the art of working up an appetite and it showed.

I thought my, what some would argue, my mating display had failed when a voice said behind me. "I know you said to forget about words and sing her a song, but seeing as you're not a 'her', I think you can make an exception."

I turned to see a cute girl, somewhere in her early twenties, smiling down at me. "Enjoying the view?"

I smiled amusingly, "More than I was."

She sat down, "I'm Jane."

"Well, Jane, I'm sorry but I'm not Tarzan." We both chuckled. "I'm Dominick."

"A decent voice and funny." Jane's eyes twinkled. "What else can you do?"

"Oh we'd need some privacy for me to show you." I winked. "At least the fun stuff anyway?"

"Privacy?" She asked in mock curiosity.

"I'm a shy delicate flower." I said innocently. "It takes a lot for me to open up."

"A lot of what?"

"Compassion and gentle encouragement." I mocked

"Or a bottle of Jack." She countered.

"Sorry, but I don't drink."

"Really?" she eyed me skeptically.

"Its so no harlot has her way with me." I said firmly

"And how is that working out?"

"Honestly? I'm a little curious to see what all the buzz is about."

"remember, curiosity killed the cat." she teased.

"But satisfaction bought it back." I countered.

We went back and forth, neither one of us giving the other the smallest inch, for an hour. We chatted about our taste for music as we flirted and I bought her drinks, I assured I was not entirely jesting when I said I did not drink alcohol. Like Heather, I picked on how she would rub my arm or her hand would linger when she found an excuse to hold it. I noticed how she would hold my gaze for a moment, look down and away, then back to me to see if i had noticed. I also took note how when she laughed at a witty remark, she would play with her hair, either gently tucking it behind her ear or twirling it around her fingers.

Either she was interested in me or she found me terrifying and was doing all she could not to insult me and have me fly into a murderous rage.

I had my answer two hours, and a few Appletinis, later.

"Its too bad they don't have a piano here." She said. "Then we can see if your just as cleaver with your hands as you are with your mouth."

"You'd be surprised how clever I can be with these." I wriggled my fingers expertly.

"Maybe you can show me back at my place." she offered.

"Really? You have a piano?" I asked. "I didn't think you played."

"Oh I love to play." She assured. "But only if my partner knows what he's doing."

"Only one way to find out." I stood up and held out my hand. "Unless you think you can't handle me."

Jane smirked. "You took the words right out of my mouth.

"I'll do more than that before the night's over." I winked.

* * *

I returned to the apartment about two hours before sunrise. Wilhelmina was sitting on the couch alone, I assumed the rest of the nest was still otherwise occupied, and sat at the piano. I'm not sure as to the reason, but my fingers played across the keys. As I toyed with a melody that escaped my memory, Wilhelmina sat next to me and laid her head on my shoulder. I felt at ease when I her hair tickle my neck as she nuzzled my should like a cat rubbing against its owner to leave its scent upon it. I always seemed to feel more myself whenever Wilhelmina was close by.

"I trust tonight was a success?" she whispered.

I nodded and told her everything. Jane took me to her home a few blocks away and we each enjoyed a glass of wine. Well, one of us at least, I wondered how a ficcus would react to a glass of vintage wine. We chatted and flirted a bit more as I serenaded her on an electric keyboard. We then began kissing with passion as we made our way to hr bedroom, but we broke apart when she excused herself to bathroom. I waited patiently, laying upon the bed with my shirt off, before I heard the shower running. On a whim, I quietly entered and saw she opted for a hot shower to get in the mood. I undressed and carefully stepped in. She was startled at first, but she recovered quickly. She shrugged and turned her back to me, claiming I should make myself useful. After a minute or two, Jane had the cleanest set of shoulder blades I had seen. I asked her to turn around and she obliged. We resumed kissing as I lifted her and she wrapped her long legs around my waist. I then took her, against the shower wall, as hot water rained down on us.

Like Heather, she enjoyed herself immensely until I sank my fangs into her neck and began to drink her blood. So like Heather, I muffled her screams as I drank before glamoring her into thinking she had only slept with me and the fatigue was a result of great sex.

"It seems you have found a suitable strategy." Wilhelmina remarked.

"I could have just gotten lucky." I admitted.

"Was that not the objective?" she asked. "To get lucky?"

I laughed. "My point is, I'll know in a week or two."

"I see." She paused. "Sing me a song."

"What?"

"Sing for me."

"Which one?"

"Something beautiful."

"I know just one."

I began to play a slow loving melody. It was gentle, like a caress between lovers, and reassuring. I hummed for a moment as I laid my head gently on my maker's. Then I added my voice to music. And while I had enjoyed singing in the bar, and to Jane, it felt much better alone with my maker next to me, her hand resting on my thigh as I did so.

_You could leave tomorrow_

_Fly to Mandalaaay_

_Darling I would love you anywaaaaay_

_I just couldn't help but care_

_Anytime . . . Anywhere_

_You can keep me waiting every single daaaay_

_I'll be there to meet you anywaaaay_

_You make liiiife a love affair_

_Anytime . . . Anywhere_

_Why should I lie and pretend I don't belong to yooou_

_Why even try when it makes no difference what you dooo_

_I'll be truuue_

_Take my heart completely_

_Treat me as you maaaay_

_I am yours forever anywaaaay_

_All I have is yours to shaaare_

_Anytime,_

_Anyplace,_

_Anywhere_

"How was that?" I asked, eager for her verdict.

Wilhelmina sniffed my collar and said with a slight gleam in her eye. "You smell like her."

Without a word, I took my maker in my arms and carried her to her bedroom. I gently laid her down on the bed and we spent the last hours of the night erasing Jane's scent from my body and replacing it with Wilhelmina's.

* * *

A/N - The next update might be a little longer off than usual. Not sure if everyone is aware, but I'm currently switching back and forth between this story and my PJO series. And since the new book has been released, I've been somewhat distracted. So I decided to halt all my stories so I can finish Mark Of Athena before returning to my routine. It should be take too long as I'm a pretty fast reader.

Read, Rate, And Review if you would be so kind and I'll update as soon as I can.


	9. Christmas In October

All Hallows' Evening.

All Hallows' Eve

Better known to most as Halloween.

While I enjoyed Halloween as a child — what child did not enjoy gorging themselves on chocolate? — but it was as a vampire did it become my Christmas. No other night of the year could I walk down a random street and introduce myself as a vampire to anyone I came across without them screaming and running in terror when they caught sight of my fangs. Granted I'd explain that they were a cleverly crafted prosthetic that a dentist had been kind to donate on a contraption I had fastened myself so I could retract at will, but it was such a relief to not hide for a few precious hours. If someone did comment of my lack of eating or drinking, I would laugh and jest I was a vampire that did require food or water and they remarked how devoted I was to maintaining my persona. I would have the same results when I asked for permission to enter a home. So long as I took care not to display my strength and speed, I was human if only in appearance for a night.

Just as my wise Wilhelmina had pointed out, i had found a suitable strategy. It was not one that guaranteed success each time, but I did not need one hundred percent. I might be rejected by many women, rejection being anything less than an invitation to accompany them home, but I played the numbers and I found one that was willing. Funny, my undead body was living far much more than my live body had even thought remotely possible.

Wilhelmina assured me that I had more or less mastered the basics, but there were still finer more subtle details I required. At her side I learned to perfect my accent as well as my grasp of the language of love so that even a native of France would be convinced. As much as humans think themselves far evolved from apes, the actions and positions of the body were crucial parts to communication, though more on a subconscious level, and Wilhelmina taught me to determine the more illusive details of body language much more acutely than I had before. Wilhelmina also coached me on picking up clues to a person's personality. For example, a women who color coordinated her lipstick to the color of her shoes was most likely concerned with appearances and a good approach would be to comment on her dress. But like many things, it was more of an art than a science. I simply had to learn gauge and be quick on my feet if an assumption proved to be false.

It was not long before that the correct actions and words became second nature to me and I began to second guess myself less and less. Often acting as a young french couple on holiday from Marseille, no human could resist our charm. While we might convice a couple here or there to join us for the night, it was not always the case. Wilhelmina and I usually opted to simply share for the most part, Wilhelmina feedring from her neck while I drifted down to the femoral. I say usually barbecue Wilhelmina was not always in the mood for women and insisted on a man. It did not matter as I'd usually fed while Wilhelmina had her fun with him and I would with her later.

If you're curious about how I felt senselessly killing humans for sport, I did not. It was mostly due to the fact we did not kill them. While I'm certain Wilhelmina simply refrained to prevent my protests, I convinced her the humans we fed from we more valuable to us alive. Not only could we feed from them again and again with them being none the wiser, but there was no clean up needed. A quick glamor and we had the rest of the night to ourselves. Long story short, if there is no dead body then there is no crime and it went double if the body was still alive and acting as everything was right in the world. That wasn't to say we did not kill at all. If some strange occurrence, we were ambushed in an alley by muggers and gangs and they were eying Wilhelmina hungrily, then it could be guaranteed they would not be seen again. It was then that Wilhelmina taught me how to cover my tracks should the occasion arise.

And it did arise.

On October thirty-first.

We had just come from feeding on a young couple in Harlem when we passed a small comic shop I frequented on the Upper West Side. Atomic Comics was a coffee/ comic shop that served many items one would find at Starbucks, but at much more lower price and with names like The Batmanacunno or the Megamanmochiato. While I might have enjoyed a nice cup of coffee, I'd settle for a comic book and little light flirting with Johanna Wotsan the counter girl.

Johanna has a Gothic style of dress. While you would not give her a second glance on Halloween, you could always catch her wearing black clothes like black dresses and t-shirts, mini-skirts, and black make up. Her jewelry was also goth, often skulls and bones mixed with other object associated with death. From our conversations together, her studded neck choker is one of her favorite pieces of jewelry which I found strange. What person would wear something that resembled a dog collar?

Johanna had shoulder-length black hair that glistened in the right light, as if slightly wet, with bangs and long strands running down her jaw that framed her face perfectly. She also had the most striking electric blue eyes I had seen,which stood out that much more with the dark make up she tended to favor, and freckles across her nose that she assured were genuine and sprayed on like some people tended to do. Johanna was just slightly shorter than I was, though it was difficult to tell as she often wore high heeled leather boots.

Wilhelmina did not share my, or Adrian's taste, for comics, but she entered with me.

Like many music stores, there were racks upon racks of popular comic books arranged in rows and separated by genre. Normally there would be various cardboard standees of famous comic book characters like Batman and Superman, but instead were famous villains from classic horror films like Freddy Kruegar and Mike Myers to keep with the holiday. Fake cobwebs clung to the racks and plastic spiders and bats hung on wires. Fake blood splotches were splattered on the glass display cases that held vintage issues from World War Two along with a couple of mock severed hands clinging to them as if the owner had been ripped away with great force. The coffee shop half of the store was similarly decorated and patrons were in costumes, superheroes mostly, sipping coffee and reading or conversing about various subjects some would label as geeky.

"Hey, Dom!" cried a voice.

I turned just as I was embraced. Johanna's scent was so intoxicating, like sweet cinnamon and peaches baking in the sun in the height of spring. When I had first met her, it was almost if I had traveled back to when the faintest scent of human made me abandon all self control. I was quite proud when she hugged me when we first met and I did not drain her there in the shop as the patrons sipped their coffees and read comics, though I had to fake a coughing fit so I could retract my fangs without her noticing.

She pulled away and I saw she was wearing black rabbit ears, playboy ears to be exact, that bent and moved with faux piercings. "The Easter Bunny's goth sister?"

"Cousin." she corrected. "What are you supposed to be?"

I was wearing my bespoke suit and hat with a red dress shirt and black tie. I also carried my cane to add to the flair. I open my arms wide like an actor, "Take a look for yourself."

"Humphrey Bogart?"

I smiled brightly and she caught sight of my fangs. "Guess again."

"Oh, a vampire." She eyed my fangs with interest. "They look so real."

I chuckled. "They are real. Well, real fake teeth anyway. I have a friend who's dad is dentist. I just filed them down and went to town with denture glue."

Johanna saw I was not alone. "Oh hello."

"Hello." Wilhelmina said calmly.

"Sorry." I motioned between them. "Wilhelmina, this is Johanna. Johanna, this is Wilhelmina."

"Pleasure to meet you." Johanna hugged her tightly.

"Friendly." Wilhelmina commented, a bit surprised.

"Yeah, she dose that."

"_Sa senteur_. . ." Wilhelmina said to me as Johanna released my maker. _Je vois pourquoi tu tenu à venir là_."

"What?" asked Johanna.

"She likes your perfume." I smiled. "Wilhelmina is here from France."

"Really?"

"_Oui_." Wilhelmina said with a slight accent. "I met Dominick when I first came here on holiday."

"Oh," Johanna's smiled dipped a bit. "And you two are dating?"

"We were about to when she showed me a picture of her dad." I chuckled, pretending to sound embarrassed. "Turns she's my half sister."

"What now?" She looked at Wilhelmina with interest.

"Dominick's father met my mother only a year before he met Dominick's mother and married her." She sounded convincingly coy. "My mother was a . . . "

"I think the polite term is, lady of the evening." I said.

"Oh." Johanna's cheeks flushed red.

This story of our faux family was our silent way of communicating. If Wilhelmina said she had met me in America, it meant Wilhelmina gauged the human in question, Johanna, was most likely a bit conservative and would not bed us both. But if Wilhelmina said I met her in France, then the opposite was the message. Honestly, I may have desired Johanna, but something held me back from acting on that desire.

Wilhelmina excused herself, asking Johanna where the foreign comics sat, and I followed Johanna back to the register. We chatted for a bit about our plans for the rest of the night.

"Oh, just a typical night." I said nonchalantly. "Finding a cute girl to drain."

"Really?" she said with mock sarcasm.

"Yeah," I smiled warmly. "So when do you get off?"

"Sorry, short, pale, and dead." said a voice. "She's helping me take inventory after we close up. Should take all night."

I turned to see the owner, staring daggers with her hands on her hips, Katherine Korbin.

I suppose to anyone else, Katherine would appear quite imitating. At six feet tall and with her face decorated in Native American war paint, even Wilhelmina would second guess herself angering her for a moment. She wore an authentic looking rawhide vest that had ravens painted on by hand. The vest allowed her to show off her flawlessly smooth cinnamon colored skin with wampum tribal armbands on her biceps. Her long strong legs and small feet were encased in the same leather looking material as her vest. Her long black hair was tied back under a red bandanna. She had a broad handsome face with full and rounded lips, a prominent nose and cheekbones, and her brown deep set eyes starred volumes upon volumes of warning.

Katherine recognized me for what I was the moment I entered her shop barely a week I was released from the apartment. And I recognized her as a shifter. We did not get along well. If it wasn't for Johanna I would have found another shop to visit and I suppose I should have anyway, but Johnna's scent kept calling me back. On the bright side, my frequent visits to the shop were rewarded with information from Johanna. Katherine's great grandparents were from the Shinnecock Reservation on Long island, which explained why her costume was so convincing.

Wilhelmina had explained that many of shifters and Weres in the country had root in many Native American tribes. It explained all stories of humans becoming animals. It was ruse to conceal their second nature from the the pure human members of the tribe. So assuming that shifters and Weres had roots in Native American tribes, then it could be assume a good portion of the people living on ther reservations today were as well. And since it was not require to stay, it was not far fetched that some would leave and open comic shops in town.

"Well, if it isn't Little Raven." I said dryly.

"Hey, Jo." said Katherine, her eyes unrelenting. "Can you get Jimmy's order from the back. He said he'd be stopping by."

"Um, sure." Johanna gave me an apologetic shrugged. "To be continued I guess."

I smiled. "I'll be waiting."

Katherine hardly waited a second before growling at me. "Stay away from her!"

I raised an eyebrow. "And if I don't?"

She lean forward and whispered. "Let's say I won't be calling a butcher for the kind of steak I want."

I shot my head forward like snake and hissed. "I'd love to see you try."

"Stay away from Johanna." She reached into vest and showed the grip of a stake. "Or you will."

I held up my cane, twisted the handle, and displayed an inch of the hidden blade. "Mine's bigger."

She balked at the sight of the hidden blade.

Or so I thought

That was when I felt something metallic pressed against the small of my back. Then I heard the unmistakeable click of a gun's hammer being thumbed back. "Nice costume, Kate." said a rough a voice.

Despite me being in mortal danger, Katherine looked upset. "Not again."

I felt the mugger pushed what was most likely a gun harder against me. "You know the drill, Kate. Empty the register. Make it quick !"

"You haven't been doing this long have you?" I asked.

"What?" he growled.

"Well, you cocked the gun to early." I said.

"What?" he asked again.

"Shove a gun against someone's back that's shock enough." I said as Katherine slowly emptied cash into a bag. "You wanna save the gun cocking until later. In case the gun itself doesn't scare the guy." I reached into my breast pocket, something a professional would not allow, and lit a cigarette. "Now that you've already done that, what's your plan? Shake it at me?"

I heard loose pieces of metal click and jangle mixed with his heavy and nervous breathing. "Ah-ah . . . ah."

"See? Not very effective is it?"" I blew a small puff of pink smoke. "But if you saved it until later. Then boom, you got escalation. And that, my friend, is the name of the game."

"You've done this before?" asked the asinine theif.

"No, but its basic logic." I asked Katherine. "I'll make you a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"Not you." I said coolly. "Katherine?"

"Yes?" she asked.

"I take care of this guy and you agree to run me a tab." I offered. "Deal?"

"Okay fine." she nodded uneasily. "I can live with that."

"And stop interfering with Johanna and me." I added.

"No." she said firmly.

I shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying." I then spoke to the robber, who was so confused to the entire situation. "You know, you should have really gotten in and out."

The robber probably would have said something akin to 'huh?', had I not stepped to the side and snatched the gun, a snub-nosed pistol I guessed, faster than he thought possible. I saw he was wearing a Guys Fawkes mask, I had read and seen V For Vendetta, with a wool cap on his head.

Had I been alone with him I would have simply turned and fed from him until he no longer moved, but I'm sure Katherine would have objected to having to remove bloodstains from the carpet. And there were a few patrons sitting in the corner completely engrossed in their comics. They most certainly would have protested as well, albeit with much more screaming. Plus I had already had my fill for the night and did not wish to stain my suit, though I suppose I could have mended that with another trip to Grégoire's.

I gazed into his eyes, the mask's eye slits allowing my glamor to function. "Tell me," I asked as I held up the gun. "Is this loaded?"

"Yeah," he said lazily.

"Then I'm going to keep it." I said, laying the weapon on the counter which Katherine snatched up. "I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

"Thanks."

"Now, have you robbed this place before?" Katherine did not say 'not again' because it had been the first occurrence.

"Yeah. Just last week."

"Do you still have the money?"

"Most of it." he padded his denim jacket.

"Can you give it to me?" I asked gently. "I forgot my wallet."

He reached into jacket and handed me a roll of bills. "Spent the rest on dope."

"That's alright." I assured, but then I had an idea. "Do you still have some?"

I saw Wilhelmina eying me with curiosity as the robber handed me a plastic bag filled with white powder. No doubt she was waiting to see what I did next. I took the bag and looked to Katherine before I looked back to the human, "You know this is illegal right?"

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Then I want you to go to the nearest precinct and turn yourself in." I told him, handing the bag back to him.

"But they'll lock me up." he protested as if it was a minor annoyance.

"But that way they won't catch you for robbing stores." I reasoned sweetly.

"Good point." he agreed.

Without another word, he strode out of the store. Wilhelmina's eyes followed him for a moment before returning to me. She raised an eyebrow and I understood she had become bored and wished to leave. I gave a her a nod and turned to Katherine.

I could not have timed it better. Johanna emerged from the back, a small brown box under each arm. "Took me a while, but I found it."

"Johanna?" I asked. "Can you get me those copies of The Walking Dead please?"

She looked to the shelf behind her. "Which volume?"

"All of them." i said. "One through six."

To Katherine's credit, she upheld her part of the bargain and agreed to run me a tab. She even went as far to not charge me, though I was certain she just wanted me to leave as soon as possible. I bid her and Johanna goodbye and assured I'd return soon, winking to Johanna as I did.

"That girl is not human." Wilhelmina said the second we were outside. "The young one that seems to favor black."

"Really?" I asked. "She isn't a Shifter."

"No." she agreed. "But her scent is not entirly human either."

"Is there such a thing as a half shifter?"

"Humans can become something akin to that if bitten." Wilhelmina frowned "But none of the ones I have come across have ever possessed such an enticing aroma." Wilhelmina seemed to be on the verge of an answer. "Although, I once met in Normandy as I hunted in the forest . . ."

Then there was a slight breeze and I was overwhelmed by the most ambrosial mouthwatering titillating spicy sweet scent that I would ever have the privilege to smell. It was if someone had combined warm chocolate, fresh cinnamon, perfectly ripe and season tropical fruits, and a bouquet of the sweetest flowers in the world at the height of spring. I was suddenly avariciously ravenous and my eyes scanned my surroundings as my nose tried to ascertain the source of such an alluring and appetizing aroma. Wilhelmina also appeared to be captivated by the scent and sniffed the air as I did.

Then we both settled to our rear and we turned.

She was beautiful.

Her hair was long, flowing freely in the slight breeze, and hair so celestially blonde it almost glowed like pure sunlight. Her eyes were just as exquisite, large and almond shaped, with the most entrancing shade of emerald greed. Her bosom was perfect as was the rest of her body. She possessed just the right amount of curve to her hips and her legs were long and strong. Her skin had an odd, but still divinely, quality to it. She was pale as milk, but glossy and thin that reminded me a cluster of cherries ; like if I was to bite her, sweet juice would fill my mouth. My mouth watered at the thought how her blood would taste.

I also saw she wore an orange and black striped knit dress with sleeves that reached the crook of her elbows and ended mid thigh. On her feet, she wore matching polished high heels. She carried a styrofoam cup that steam rose from it and the smell told me it was hot chocolate.

She smiled at us, a little anxiously, revealing dazzling white teeth. "Hello, you must be Dominick."

I inched forward, Wilhelmina doing the same to my right. "Do I know you?"

"No." she said, taking the smallest of steps back. "But Johanna likes to talk about you."

"You don't say." I inched forward again.

"My name is Lysandra." She gave me nervous, but still dazzling, smile. "But most just call me Sandra."

"Beautiful name." I said absent minded.

"I'm glad you got rid of that robber. Last time he did that, he gave Johanna such a fright." Lysandra said, still smiling but continuing to inch back as Wilhelmina and I inched forward."I wasn't sure how to thank you."

"I can think of a way." I said hungrily.

I noticed her hand was trembling slightly as she sipped her hot chocolate, but she still smiled brightly as she did. "I know I shouldn't have left her alone, but it was only for a few minutes. Plus I absolutely love hot chocolate."

"I haven't had one of your kind in centuries." Wilhelmina said, looking forlorn and hungry.

I licked my lips and asked, my voice ragged with hunger. "What are you?"

"_Faerie_." Wilhelmina whispered almost to herself.

"A fairy?" I asked, my eyes not leaving Sandra.

Sandra nodded uneasily, still inching back. "Yes."

"I've only had one before." Wilhelmina said, her voice dreamy as she recalled. "They are very difficult to catch."

My body betrayed me. I must have made an involuntary jerk, one of my fingers possibly twitched in anticipation, or Sandra took note of a slight tick in my eye. Otherwise Wilhelmina and I would have drained every last drop the fairy had in her sumptuous body.

I pounced, intending drive her to the ground, but light shimmered around her and I caught naught but air. I gazed around frantically to see where she had gone, but I only saw Wilhelmina doing the same, looking disheartened at losing such elusive and opulent prey.

"Damn it!" I pounded the concrete floor with a fist, sending a small puff of powder into the air around a small crater. I felt a thorb of pain and saw I had small shards of rock protruding from my hand, drawing little drops of blood. "Great."

"It will heal." Wilhelmina said as I stood, though she hardly sounded concerned. In truth, I was more upset at the lost of the fairy.

"So that was a fairy?" I asked. Now that she was gone, I could think clearly. "I always thought fairies were smaller."

"Smaller?"

"Like Tinkerbell in Peter Pan."

"Peter Pan?" Wilhelmina appeared uncertain to my meaning. "Tinkerbell?"

"The fairy in Peter Pan." I shook my head as I recalled something. "Well, technically she's a pixie, but I always though fairies were the same. About the size of a doll with little wings, mischievous personalities, and in tune with nature."

"Those are merely the result of human embellishing and exaggeration over the centuries." Wilhelmina frowned. "Tales passed down from generation to generation, each teller adding their own flair until the end result hardly resembles the original."

I caught sight of an alley and walked until I reached the center, sniffing the air as I did so. I was aware of Wilhelmina following only a few steps behind me as her light footsteps, impossible for any human ear to catch, against the ground. I growled when realized the fairy was gone without the slighest clue to where she had gone.

"You dropped this." Wilhelmina said. "Ryuu's gift."

"The fairy, Sandra." I took my cane from her. "She's gone."

"It certainty seems that way." Wilhelmina actually pouted. "As I said, they are notoriously difficult to catch."

The way Wilhelmina pouted and folded her arms across her chest, I felt one hunger becoming another.

"I suppose we should return to the nest." Wilhelmina rolled her eyes. "There is nothing we can do — "

Her words were stopped when I put my mouth against hers. As I've said before, feeding and mating are profoundly intertwined. The scent of fairy had not only arouse my hunger, but aroused me in more traditional ways. I made that apparent as I drifted from Wilhelmina's mouth down her neck and shoulder, one hand gliding down to caress her waist while the other was on the small of her back pulling her close to me. I felt her resist for a moment before she kissed me back, her hands cupping my face. Our mouths maintained together as Wilhelmina found herself with her back against the brick wall of a building and my body against her front. My drifted down her neck to her shoulder as she slid her arms under mine and brought me closer, her legs opening and wrapping themselves around my waist.

Wilhelmina pulled away and stared at me,"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" I blinked.

"It looks like that fairy's scent is still clouding your mind." Wilhelmina said plainly.

I paused for a moment and cursed. "You're right."

I tried to step back, but Wilhelmina still had her legs tightly wrapped around my waiste. I looked at my maker and saw she was smiling mischievously. "I did not say I wanted to stop."

I returned the smile and bent to kiss her. "I hate it when you tease me like that."

"Then we're not gonna get along one bit, vamp." said a rough smug voice.

I barely had time to register the voice as male and the scent of Were when I felt a presence behind me and something thin and searing hot went over my head and around my neck.

I howled in agony as the silver chain touched my bare skin, steam hissing like a hot blade on freezing ice. I was yanked and thrown backward as I kicked and hissed in protest, someone large and strong keeping the chain tight as they dragged me against the floor. As I struggled to get free, the silver continuing to eat away at my skin and waning strength, I heard and saw a mass of red hair and flailing limbs next to me. Wilhelmina was shrieking and hissing under mesh net that was lined with silver. I felt a pair of hands grasp my wild legs and bound them. The silver did not burn me as our assailants did not bother to pull my pants, but it did weaken me until my legs felt several tons heavier. I saw that Wilhelmina continued to fight and hiss as they tried to the same with her. I gave up wrenching the chain around my neck and stretched toward my maker and rip the net off.

Then I heard an explosion and an agonizing lance of pain pierce my right temple and everything ceased to exist.

* * *

Despite what I had seen in films and novels, you don't wake up sight first or sound first. The first your brain is aware of upon waking is what the body is currently feeling. And for me that was dull throbbing sensation radiating from my right temple mixed with a hunger I had not felt since I first awoke when I was brought over. I felt incredibly weak. It was not the fatigue brought from the absence of feeding. I was all to familar with that feeling. No, I felt drained and sluggish which I knew was from coming in contact with silver, several pounds at the very least.

I forced myself to open my eyes and look up.

My wrists were bound with silver manacles high over my head, steam coming in slight wisps where my skin came in contact, and locked tightly with common locks you can find in any hardware store anywhere in the country. The manacles were attached to heavy thick iron chains that were welded to a small metal plate on the wall. Upon closer examination I saw two smaller thinner silver chains, I had the vague suspicion they were not merely necklaces, twined around and through the iron links. I looked down and saw someone had the hindsight to remove my shoes and socks and roll up my pants to ensure the silver manacles touch my bare ankles. They matched the ones bounding my wrist, with the same locks that were on the manacle on my wrists, although the chains linking me to the wall were considerably shorter. So the prisoner was denied the use of their legs as well as their arms.

"Nice to see you're awake." said a ragged, but still identifiable, female voice. "I was hoping to have a chat before I died again."

My head whipped up, fangs running out like lightning, as I hissed in warning.

She was not directly in front me, but a slight bit to my left where there was a door. She had broad shoulders and muscular arms, but not like a man. There was no denying that as she was bare as the day she was born, and probably as she had been when she was brought over, but there was no way of knowing without asking. Her long black hair, which ended just above her shoulders, hung in tousled clumps and had clearly not been washed in days. Her face might have been beautiful, prominent cheekbones and slanted eyes, if not for the starved look to it.

She smiled weakly, displaying tips of her fangs, and spoke with the faintest hint of a British accent. "What is your name?"

Had she been anything but a vampire, I would have not said a word. But that did not mean I gave her my full name. I retracted my fangs. "Dominick."

"Nice to meet you, Dominick." she said, do her best to sound sweet. "I am Mae D. Marion."

"Maid Marion?" I asked. "Like from the story of Robin Hood?"

"Yes, that Maid Marion." she gave me a weary smile. "But it is simply Mae. The 'D' is merely the first letter of my middle name, Deidre. Small things like that tend change over the centuries."

I gazed around and saw we both were being held in a room, hardly larger then a small bedroom. The floor was cold, filthy, and made of gray concrete. There were small puddles here and there as water dripped from what remained of the copper pipes that once ran overhead. There was a window, but it had boarded up with small hole that a rat had chosen that exact moment to squeeze through and scurry across the floor before duplicate the technique and slid under the door. A single failing flickering bulb hung overhead casting long shadows and very dim light.

"Do want to know where we are?" Mae asked helpfully.

"We're in the basement of a building that's been abandoned." I said as I continued to examine the room. "I'd guess in a deserted area since they would have gagged us otherwise."

"How did you — "

"That window is too small except for the kind you see at ground level from outside," I explained. "But it been boarded up and recently too. Probably someone broke in."

"A homeless vagrant looking for a dry place to sleep for the night?" Mae offered, though I had a vague notion she was merely using me to distract herself.

"Copper is worth its weight in gold." I said. "Someone saw the building was being shut down and broke in to steal the copper in the plumbing. At least that's my guess."

"You seem quite knowledgeable." she remarked. "Were you perhaps a thief yourself? Or was one of your parents in law enforcement?"

"No, I was a bartender." I asked. "Mae, what's going on here?"

"Smell the air." She told me. "What scent do you think that is?"

I sniffed the air and my fangs ran out as I growled. "Fucking werewolves."

"Exactly." confirmed Mae. "But only a relative few with some hired shifters from the local area."

"How many in total?" I asked.

"From what I've seen, barely ten."

"That's it?"

"They are the survivors of a larger pack." Mae muttered. "Earlier this year, a pack that supported themselves through illegal narcotics approached the sheriff of Area Three."

"But he refused and they traded blows back and forth for a couple of months." I finished for her. "It wasn't until they attacked his headquarters that he was able to turn the tables and end the fight."

"You were there." Mae said, not asking but stating the truth.

"More like I handed Ryuu a winning strategy." I corrected. "Ryuu happened to be friends with Wilhelmina and knew she was close by. He summoned our entire nest and we were attacked during the meeting. "

"So you were the infant that stopped him from killing a survivor."

"I expected Ryuu to take all the credit." I admitted. "Since no sheriff in their right mind would admit to having a child provide him with a plan he hadn't thought of himself."

"Those samurai. Honor above everything." Mae smiled slightly, but weakly. "Ryuu would never take credit, no matter how beneficial, if he had not acomplished it himself."

"You know him?" I asked

"I'm the child of the sheriff of area two." Mae said. "I met Ryuu when came to ask for assistance in dealing with the werewolves."

"So what happens now?" I looked around. "Where is Wilhelmina?"

"Wilhelmina?"

"My maker." I said, feeling uneasy. "They ambushed both of us." Then a dark thought came to me. "Oh, god . . . if she's not here . . . then . . ."

I struggled and howled as I used what little strength the silver had not drained from me to break my bonds. If there was the slightest chance that Wilhelmina hadn't been staked, I had to be free. The chains jangled frantically, but remained strong and I only succeeded in tiring myself. Mae merely watched me intently as if waiting for the reality to sink in.

"Are you done?" Mae asked when I calmed down somewhat.

"My maker was with me when they ambushed me. " I said, my eyes flicking around the room to find something use.

"Your maker?" Mae appeared to be troubled. "Male or female?"

"Female."

"Then she is alive." she said. "For the time being."

"How can you be sure?"

"I have been held captive for a little over a week now." Mae's eye grew cold. "The males die within hours of being brought here, but the women are kept longer." The expression on Mae's face was full of rage and absolutely terrifying. "For _entertainment_."

I clenched my fists so tight, I drew blood. I wanted to continue struggling, every instinct screaming at me to do so, but forced my self to think. Foremost, I required information. "Alright, how long have I been here?"

"Three nights." She motioned to my feet. "Your body pushed that bullet out of your skull last night."

I looked down and saw what remained of a silver bullet."Have they tried to stake me yet?" There was an excellent chance my dextrocardia might be the key to escaping.

"No. They check in every hour or so to see if you had awoken."

"They?" That meant more than one. "How many at a time?"

"Two. One examines you while the other watches me should I try to escape."

"When they stake one of us, how do they do it?"

Mae seemed confused. "I don't understand. They shove a sharpened piece of wood through the heart." Mae's eyes narrowed. "What are you getting at?"

"I'll explain later if it works." I said. "What do they do once they stake a vampire?"

"Once they see your struggling has ceased, they carry your remains to an old coal burning boiler." Mae appeared to be hiding she was frightened, if only slightly. "To ensure you have met the final death."

I paused for several minutes to process what Mae had said.

"Alright, Mae, can you fight?"

"I haven't fed for sometime now." She sounded weak, but hopeful. "But I will do what I can."

"Alright, I need you to distract them when they stake me." I told her.

"You mean, _before _they stake you." she corrected.

"No. _When _they stake me." I clarified. "Its so they don't — "

Then we heard voices outside the door.

"Look, there isn't time to explain." I dropped my voice to a barely audible whisper. "Can you distract them?"

She nodded firmly.

"Up and at 'em!" bellowed a thunderous voice.

I turn my head to see a large six and a half foot tall man with very dark ebony skin. He had recently shaved and polished his head , along with the rest of his face, so it glistened in the dim light provided by the single flickering bulb. Like Brian and many others that sought to strengthen their bodies, his body was thick and hard with bulging muscles so large and robust that his forearms and neck were thicker than my whole body. He smelt of cheap cologne and soap, but there was no hiding the scent of werewolf. He wore a clean white tank top, either to display the massive pythons that were is arms or he simply could not find a shirt with large enough sleeves, which almost glowed in contrast to his dark skin. He also wore faded work denim jean and large boots. He carried my cane, making a show of twirling it between his fingers for my benefit.

So now I had a weapon.

He was accompanied by a woman, a polished stake on her belt where one would clip a cellphone. She was not as large as her partner, but she carried herself with the same air of confidence and arrogance. To me she was an attractive woman with short earlobe-length brown hair, lightly tanned skin, and brown eyes. She wore a gray pullover sweat shirt and stylish black jeans with hanging chains that I often saw Johanna wear. On her small feet she wore faux fur and leather boots that had no doubt cost more than anyone with a sense of reason would pay for footwear.

The woman was first to speak as she picked up the silver bullet that had been pushed out of my skull. "Well, look at that, Jim."

The man, Jim, scowled at tiny piece of metal. "I see it, Abby."

"You owe me ten bucks." Abby smirked. "I told you these fucks couldn't be killed that way."

"Where is Wilhelmina?" I demanded.

"Who?" Abby looked to Jim.

"Probably that red head vamp that he was bumping uglies with." Jim shrugged.

"Oh, yeah." said Abby. "Forgot about her."

"Where. Is. She.?" I demanded again, my fangs running out completely.

"Relax, man." Jim chuckled. "Sebastian's taking real good care of her."

"Still?" Abby looked mildly impressed.

"You know how he is." Jim winked to me so I would understand. "It takes a little bit for him to warm up."

"I hear they make a pill for that now." I said.

Abby backhanded me, "Shut up!"

"Ohh, you're one those girls." I chuckled.

"The fuck you say?" she demanded.

"It's really nothing to be ashamed of." I assured. "Hey, Jim, how often dose she string you up like this?" I jangled the manacles.

"Keep it up, vamp." Abby sneered, reaching for the stake.

"Lucky for you, I don't have that problem." I winked. "But you butch chicks aren't my type."

"Butch?!" Abby shrieked. "Butch?!"

"Still in the closet, eh?" I said to Mae. "What do you think? I'm usually pretty good at this."

That was when I felt the stake enter my chest, in my left breast to be exact. Needless to say I howled in agony exactly as I had when I was first staked at Yojimbo's. I switched my gaze between the stake in my chest and the haughty Abby that seemed quite content with the fact she had murdered a fellow creature of earth.

I gave her a weak smile. "Gotcha . . ."

Then my head went limp.

"What did he mean by that?" Abby asked. "You don't think he's one of those that can fly or some shit like that?"

"It don't matter if he could switch back to a human or even shift." said Jim. "Ain't no vamp that survives a stake."

"What did he mean?" Abby demanded. "I'm talking to you, vamp!"

"Who? Me?" asked Mae, her words slightly slurred from hunger induced fatigue. "He probably thought you were going to torture him. I was telling him how _hospitable _Sebastian is when you entered."

"A smart one." Jim remarked.

"Can't be too smart." Abby said. I felt her kneeling by my ankles and heard the unmistakeable sound of my bonds being undone.

"He knew he couldn't get free and was about to die." Jim pointed out while Abby reached up to unlock my wrists. "Figured he could piss you off enough so you'll stake him and make it quick."

"Why isn't he starting to flake?" Abby sounded suspscious.

"He must be young." Mae said. "Not even a decade old."

"So he's a littler fresher?" Jim sounded unsure.

"For the lack of better word, yes." Mae confirmed.

"That's good to know." Abby said undoing the final lock. "I thought maybe he wasn't really dead."

The very second my limbs were free, I fell forward and sank my fangs into Abby's neck as we fell to ground together with my body on top of hers. To her credit, Abby recovered from the shock quickly and screamed as she began struggling.

Then I heard loud thunderous footsteps quickly followed by an equally booming voice. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

I grasped Abby's now weakening body and switched positions with her so that she on top of me. I could not have timed it better as I lifted Abby and Jim was moving far too swiftly to stop himself from impaling Abby's body with my cane. Blood dribbled out of the corner of Abby's mouth as she coughed at the sudden intrusion. I grasped the end of the cane, grateful that Jim had been twirling and had impaled Abby with the handle rather than th butt, and twisted just as Jim yanked the cane out of his dying comrade.

I looked over Abby's shoulder, her breathing becoming slow and ragged, to Jim staring dumbfounded at the bloodstained and dripping wooden sheath. I did not wish to give Jim an opportunity to retaliate, so lifted with all the strength I could muster. With Abby still attached, I charged and drove the blade up and forward. I heard a grunt as I felt the blade pierce something soft. I yanked the sword out and Abby crumpled on top of Jim. I bent to examine and saw sword had entered just above Jim's waist before traveling upward and no doubt skewering several vital organs in the process.

I collapsed onto a knee and rested for a moment, leaning my sword for support. Recovering from a silver bullet to the head, being staked, and denied blood for all of three days would leave even the most tenacious vampire a bit weakened.

"Dominick!" Mae hissed, jangling her chain to get my attention. "Free me!"

I forced myself to rise and cut off the locks that held Mae.

Without a word, Mae fell onto all four and pulled Abby towards her, surprisingly still alive. "Please . . . no . . . don't . . ." she whimpered, her voice hardly a whisper.

Mae silenced her, other than a sharp gasp, when she sank her fangs into her neck and began feeding.

I waited as Mae fed, leaning against the cold wall opposite the door, to see if any reinforcements had been alerted by all the noise. After a minute, I accepted we were not about to me ambushed and sunk to the floor. The lack of blood was becoming apparent and I saw Mae eye me curiously as she drained the now dead Abby.

Mae pushed Abby's body and away came to me. "How are you still alive?"

"I'll explain in a minute." I assured. "Just pull it out."

She grasped the stake. "This will hurt."

"Believe me, I know."

She removed the stake swiftly and tossed it aside in the time it took me bite back a howl. God bless her, Mae pulled Jim's body and laid him up against me. Assuming I received the message, Mae continued feeding and I joined her. Once we drained all we could from Jim the werewolf, we readied ourselves

Mae was pulling on Abby's pants after ripping the chains from it. "Now can you explain how you survived a stake through the heart.

I began checking the bodies for anything of use. "I didn't."

"What?" Mae caught Jim's shirt I tossed her and slipped it over her head.

"It didn't go through my heart." I handed her the stake in question. "Here, apparently they were smart enough not come in with weapons other than this."

Mae took the stake. "But — "

"Do you know where they would take Wilhelmina?" I asked, slipping the wooden sheath through my belt.

"Yes."

"Lead the way then."

Mae seemed to understand I was not about to discuss a vital secret. It was rare the vampire that could survive being staked and know exactly how. She carefully peered out of the room and looked in either direction. Satisfied, she silently stepped out and motioned for me to follow.

We silently and carefully padded down a corridor. It looked similar to any apartment building basement. Pipes running along the floor and ceiling. Old gray concrete made the floor, walls, and most of the ceiling with only a wooden door to indicate the location of a room. Rats and other vermin scurried away from us, squeaking in warning and protest, but we did not see anything larger. Each time we reached a corner, Mae held out a hand to halt me as she peered around.

It was when she did this the third time that it was actually necessary. Quietly, I peered around the corner and saw two guard, relaxed and unarmed, sharing a smoke break. They appeared to be of the same mold as Jim, muscular giants. Mae was in a weakened state and I was clearly outmatched as a two year old infant vampire. The hallway Mae and I were occupying crossed with the guard's. If we wanted to avoid being overwhelmed by sheer numbers, we had to divide and conquer with absolute silence. I motioned for Mae take the adjacent corner which she did so quickly that only another supernatural could have seen it, and only if they had been waiting for it. Mae peered around to see if the Weres had noticed.

They hadn't.

Mae gave me a questioning look. I pointed to the stake in her hands, made a clear and brutal stabbing gesture, and then pointed between my eyes. Mae nodded, understanding that I wanted her to bury the stake between the eyes of one of the Weres. I carefully and quietly drew my sword, laying the wooden delicately on the floor to have a free hand. I crouched low and tapped the blade against the wall.

"What was that?" asked one of the Weres

"How the hell should I know?" responded the other. "I ain't psychic, Pete."

I tapped again.

"There is it again!" said who I assumed was Pete. "You don't think those vamps got free do ya?"

"The bitch's ain't had drop in nearly a week." He snorted. "The kid's been out of it for three days straight. And the both of got enough silver to make even Midas jealous."

"Wasn't Midas all about gold?" asked Pete.

"Shut the hell up, Pete." He sighed. "Let's go check it out. I just hope it ain't another rat or something." I began to hear footsteps as he continued speaking. "I swear we should have one the shifters shift into a cat and be useful for once."

"I hear ya," Pete agreed. "I couldn't believe how big these shitters got when I first got here. I've seen Great Danes back home smaller." That was his last sentence. "For a punk kid in — _Gukk_!"

Mae whipped round the corner and drove the stake through Pete's right eye, the point protruding the back of his skull. Pete's partner, his name unknown, barely had to register Pete had stopped mid sentence as I shoved the blade under his chin and up and out of the top of his skull. Like it was choreographed, Mae and I each caught their limp bodies and laid them against the wall.

I peered around the corner, waiting and listening for a sign that betrayed our presence. After a half a minute, I turned to see Mae quietly feeding from Pete. Normally I would have some words about priorities, but she was my elder and had been denied blood and sleep for a prolonged period of time.

I carefully peered inside in the room Pete and his partner were ineffectively guarding. It was pure blind luck that I did not lose my head the moment I did that. It was a small room with four cots shoved against either wall, each of them occupied by a snoring Shifter or Were. Whomever Sebastian was, he was not a comptant leader. He may have organized enough power and had the capacity to both ambush and hold vampires, but who would allow their men to sleep at night when thier prisoners were vampires?

I felt a presence behind me and I saw Mae, her mouth and lower chin stained with blood, waiting to see if it was safe to enter. Together we killed all of the slumbering two natured creatures. It was quick and for the mostpart neat, Mae insisted opted for waking the final Were breifly, a scrawny blonde women with thick glasses, and fed until she died. I gave in to temptation and fed a little myself. There was a good chance that we could be discovered at the drop of hat, and be forced to carve a bloody path to Wilhelmina, and did not wish to give the Were an advantage.

We quickly left, stopping only to stash the bodies of Pete and his partner in the room, and Mae took the lead once more. After some turns, pausing to peer around corners and sniff the air for patrols, we arrived at door flanked by guards, one male and one female. They were dressed almost identically, long sleeved shirts and jeans. The man had a somewhat muscular build with dirty blond hair and blue eyes. The woman was the same height at her partner with a slimmer body olive skin black hair and dark brown eyes.

Impatient, I forgoed devising another strategy and repeated the same manuver that led Pete and his partner to their deaths. Surprisingly, it worked and it more or less confirmed the suspicion that either Sebastian had assembled his lackeys for their willingness to follow orders and not their reasoning capabilities.

We stood on either side of the door, "Are you sure this is the right room?"

Mae gave me a single nod. "Yes. Do you smell that?"

I sniffed the air, "Vanilla?"

"Moisturizer." Mae said. "Sebastian is very concerned with the quality of his skin."

"If anything happens to me, get Wilhelmina back to our nest." I gave her the address. "Alright?"

"I am in your debt." she dipped her head slightly. "If I can, I will."

I took a step back and kicked the door with the force of a mule.

It was very dim, a dozen candles lit around the room, but it was plenty. There were three occupants, two Weres and a vampire. And that vampire was bent over a table and chained with silver.

One of the Weres, clad in only running shorts and reading a magazine. had red hair with gray flecked here and there. His skin was pale, but ruddy with some light scarring from looked liked to be from a very large cat. He froze like a deer in the headlights at our sudden intrusion, for the most part.

"Oh, shit." he whispered, his mouth agape. He looked to the other Were. "Sebastian . . . what's the plan?"

"Here's a suggestion." I said. "Mae."

Mae seemed to have momentarily forgotten that I was considerably younger and followed my order, pouncing on the Were. He tried to struggle, of course, but Mae drove him onto the ground and I heard the crunch of bone giving way to concrete when the back of his collided with the unyielding floor. His protest ending and Mae snapped his neck to be certain before drinking deeply from his neck.

Unfortunately, I allowed myself to become distracted and I only turned my attention to the remaining Were, Sebastian, when I felt a similar lance of pain slide into my chest with enough force to stumble back a step or two. I hissed at the pain and looked down to see I had been staked for the second time in the same night and the third in total.

I looked up at my would be Van Helsing. He was slim with narrow shoulders, slicked-back hair and a sharp face. He was naked and noticed traces of blood around his groin along with Wilhelmina scent around him mixed with vanilla. Every inch of skin was smooth and glossy in the dim candle light. Part of me was curious why Sebastian had opted for candle light, then a perverse thought shone through as I saw there was dried blood running down the length of Wilhelmina's leg.

Sebastian deluded himself into some kind of Romeo.

I slowly pulled out the stake and made a deliberate gesture of dropping it to the floor.

"W-w-w-what the f-f-f-fuck?" He stuttered, astounded at my lack of disintegration. "How are you not dead?"

I did not bother engaging in banter and ran him through with my sword. I should have slowed my attack. I'm certain he felt the blade enter his navel and exit out his back, but he just gazed down as if he was too shocked to feel the full effect. I yanked the sword out, not too gently and twisting as I did so, and fell at my feet. I was far from finished with the mongrel and kicked him, making sure not to break his neck. He did spit out a mouthful of blood mixed with teeth and tissue. I then hauled him to his feet, grasping the nape of his neck like a harmless puppy. I caught sight of Wilhelmina watching me.

She nodded once.

I put my through him.

Not where the sword had pierced him. No, that wouldn't anywhere near enough. My hand traveled through the small of his back, just to the left of a collection of bones that I suppose counted as a spine, and exited his front. Then, his incoherent wails of agony and mercy telling me he felt everything, my hand bent down and I grasped a fistful of flaccid flesh and hair.

I yanked my arm out with all the force and speed I was capable of and tossed the useless heap of bloody flesh in front of his face when his legs gave out from under him. Stabbed with both a sword and an arm, broken jaw, missing teeth and even combined together was not enough to kill him. Werewolves may no be as durable as vampires, but still quite sturdy and I'm certain he was cursing that fact as I used my sword to cut the heavy locks from Wilhelmina's silver manacles.

"Dominick? . . . " she whispered and I was dumbfounded at how weak she sounded and appeared to be.

I placed a hand on her check, leaving a bloody hand print. "I'm here."

"How did . . . "

I tried to smile, but it was proving difficult, "Yojimbo's."

"Oh . . . I see . . ." She weakly caressed my cheek.

"Here." I held up Sebastian, still futilely trying to struggle. "You need to drink."

She pulled me close and planted a small kiss on my lips. "Thank you."

Then she sank her neck into Sebastian's neck and I watched the light die in his eyes.

I wanted to turn him.

Just so I could kill him again and make it considerably slower for what he did to my Wilhelmina.


	10. What Was Always There

"Right on time." I said as I heard police sirens and fire trucks racing to a giant pillar of smoke and fire.

"Are you certain they will not suspect anything?" asked Mae.

"Oh, they will." I assured. "But you remember that room where most of them were sleeping?"

"Yes?" Mae said. "You said they were using the adjacent room to cook meth."

"I assumed meth." I corrected. "I was guessing based on what I've seen in movies. They could have curing cancer for all I know." I waited for a group of ambulances to pass with their blaring siren before I continued. "The fire department will be able to tell an accelerent was used, the chemicals and paint thinner they had stashed away. Once they find and identify the bodies, or whats left of them, they'll probably chalk it up to an accident caused by drug dealers."

"How can you assume that is what they will think?" asked Mae.

"Its not big leap to think a good amount of them have criminal records, hopefully drug and gang related. With the fire destroying any trace of us and the building was condemned and the bodies and drug lab were in the basement, they'll have no real choice but to think the cause of fire was someone mixing the wrong kind of chemicals. And if by some chance they find our fingerprints, you and Wilhelmina were born before people even knew fingerprints existed."

"And yourself?" Wilhelmina asked.

"Me?" I looked down at Wilhelmina as I carried her in my arms. "I've never been arrested so my fingerprints aren't in any goverment database. Even if they were, I'd come up as dead and they'd have no where to go from there."

We continued walking south on 2nd Avenue and crossed E 117th Street which put in right in the middle of East Harlem, a few miles south of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge.

It did not surprise me that Sebastian had chosen this place as a hideout. East Harlem has the highest violent crime rate in Manhattan. The neighborhood suffers from many social issues, such as the highest jobless rate in New York City, teenage pregnancy, AIDS, and drug abuse five times the national average. From what I read and heard, after a wave of arson ravaged the low income communities of New York City throughout the 1970s and "planned shrinkage" policies, many of the residential structures in East Harlem were left seriously damaged or destroyed. By the late 1970s, the city began to rehabilitate many abandoned tenement style buildings and designate them low income housing. Despite the fairly recent gentrification of the neighborhood, large numbers of apartment buildings have been deliberately kept vacant by their owners. Although the businesses on the ground floor are retained, landlords do not want to have the trouble involved in residential tenants.

I suggested taking the subway back to our nest in Soho as the police and fire departments had most likely closed off the roads and traffic would be too severe for a taxi. Mae accepted my logic and glamored a passing human, an old man no less the seventy, for directions for the number six subway.

Mae glamored more humans to part with subway tokens and we waited on the platform, ignoring the stares I was receiving for holding Wilhelmina without showing the smallest amount of effort. She had protested to being carried like an injured child, but when I noticed how she limped with each step I scooped her up in my arms. She could have ordered my to set her down, but she did not and I felt she was fighting the urge to do so. I was certain a day's rest and a healthy amount of blood and she would be put to rights, physically at least. I could not even begin to comprehend what was going through her mind. I was at lost for words and neither did she, or Mae, speak on the matter the entire trip to Soho.

We disembarked once the train stopped at Canal Street. I quickly took Wilhelmina in my arms and made our way to the surface. We walked south until Canal crossed with Walker Street and made a left onto it, continuing until we reached Broadway and our nest.

As we rode the elevator, I asked. "Mae?"

"Yes?"

"You said you're the sheriff's child, right?" I had a few nagging thoughts. "Has he been having the same problems as Ryuu in Area Three? Drug dealing werewolf packs?"

"Yes, although only from the Alpha and Beta Blood Packs." She answered. "The rest of the packs keep to themselves and do not meddle in our affairs. As do we." Mae raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." I answered. "How big are the packs?"

"Their numbers reach just under five and forty when combined. While we did not share information, we found it wise to keep track of their numbers should the information be needed."

I paused for a moment. "Sebastian didn't mention if he was working for or with either of them by any chance?"

"I do not know." Mae said. "From what I comprehended, he only wanted revenge and was using what little resources and connections he could scrounge to find those responsible. He was part of what he called the Mahingan Pack. "

"That is the Algonquin word for wolf." Wilhelmina translated. "We thought our nest and that of Ryuu's had ended their existence."

"Not completely it seems." Mae looked troubled. "We must be wary. We cannot be sure if Sebastian had joined the other packs.""

"He didn't." I said firmly.

"Are you certain?" Mae asked.

"Yes."

"How?" Wilhelmina asked.

"He probably found out his packmaster's motorcycle was stolen and figured whomever was using had some connection to his pack's massacre." I looked up and saw we were on the tenth floor. "He most likely poked around until he found Ryuu's house and watched it for a time. Somehow he learned the motorcycle was in the city, I guess by either bribing or threatening a human that belonged to one of Ryuu's nestmates, and came here."

"I still do not understand how that proves he was not supported by the other packs." Mae protested.

"Had he gone to local packs, he would have found the bike within days and we would have had to deal with a lot more than the ten we did." I concluded. "All he had to do was limit his search to Manhattan."

"Why not Brooklyn or Staten Island?" Wilhelmina asked.

"Manhattan is the most luxurious and expensive borough to live in." I asked. "You saw the state of East Harlem. Would you consider staying there if you didn't have to?"

"Fair point." Wilhelmina conceded.

"I suppose not." Mae admitted.

"And he would have probably narrowed even more his search to the more expensive neighborhoods like Tribeca or West Village." I added. "All he would need is anywhere between ten and twenty more Weres and he would barely have to lift a finger."

No sooner than I finished speaking, the doors opened to the twelfth floor. We wordlessly walked the corridor and stopped at room 221B. Mae was kind enough to open the door with the keys in my pocket as my hands were otherwise occupied and we stepped in.

We were greeted not with warm welcomes, but with stares from Adrian, Regina, and Doyle. Adrian was leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and his feet crossed at the ankle while Regina sat cross legged on the edge of a couch. Doyle was, as usual, lounging without a care in the world in a recliner with the footrest out and laid out as far as the chair would allow.

"Well, it looks like someone broke curfew." Doyle grinned.

"You thickheaded dolt!"Adrian did the sensible thing and smacked the back or Doyle's head. "This is not the time."

Doyle hissed and scowled, but said nothing as he rubbed where Adrian had struck him.

Regina was more subtle. "It's been four days and neither of you answered your phones. We grew concerned."

"Mae?" I said gently. "Do you think could explain while I take care of Wilhelmina?" A thought came to me and added. "Feel free to use my coffin in the room at the end of the hall if you feel tired. Assuming Matthew doesn't insist on you returning to your home tonight."

"Thank you, Dominick. I shall do that." Mae looked less than pleased to recount her story. "It is also possible that they will be in danger themselves."

I turned, Wilhelmina still in my arms, and walked down the hall.

"Where are you taking me?" Wilhelmina asked. "My room?"

I entered the bathroom and gently set my maker on the unused toilet as I drew back the curtains and ran a warm bath. I poured some of the bath salts Regina liked to use. Wilhelmina seemed to understand my intentions as I slipped off her shoes and softly removed her stockings. She permitted me to unbutton her blouse, lavender silk stained by dirt and blood and had been torn in our struggles to escape, and I tossed it unceremoniously in an abstract corner. She tensed and flinched, so slight that no human would have noticed, but quickly relaxed and smoothly tugged off the tan colored khakis that had also been torn and stained with blood.

I removed my own shirt so only a red undershirt covered my pale chest and lowered Wilhelmina into the water. She gasped slighlty when her legs first entered the warm water and I noticed the smallest wisps of red swirl in the water before fading complexly. I knew the reason why and knew better than to mention it as did she.

I lathered a cloth with the soap I replaced in its niche. Wilhelmina did not move as I lifted her leg slightly and began washing her skin as gently as I could. I continued my work without a word, from either of us, and only stopping to drain some of the water and quickly running more to keep it from becoming cold. It was when I was washing her back that I finally broke the silence, less I go insane.

"I'm sorry." I said, my voice so soft I was not even sure I had said the word aloud.

"You know how I feel about apoligies." She answered just as softly.

"They acomplish nothing." I said automatically. "But show weakness which is death for our kind." I hesitated. "But . . ."

"No exceptions." She said gently but firmly. "You are not to blame."

"I should have gotten to you sooner." I protested weakly.

"You were shot in the head with a silver bullet at point blank range." She reminded me. "After being ambushed by a group of other supernatural beings. Beings that knew of our weaknesses and exploited them perfectly." She looked over her shoulder. "We, and no doubt countless others, would have met our ends if not for you and your ability."

"I hardly call dextrocardia an ability." I said. "Just dumb luck."

"I was not speaking of your defect, though defense would be a better word for it." Wilhelmina seemed curious, as if her conclusion was bright as day and I of all should see it. "I was refering to your intelligence. That is your gift."

"How is that an ability?" I asked.

"If you read our lore that humans have recorded throughout time, you would see certain vampires with unique abilites." Wilhelmina paused as if to recall something. "I met an old vampire, hardly more than a maiden of sixteen, some distance from Lotharingia before I came to the New World. She had the ability to communicate with her children telepathically."

"How dose it happen?"

"No one is certain." She brought her knee to her chin and embraced them. "Some theroies suggest that the vampire overlooked something important when he brought the human over or some alien substance in the human's body mixes with the maker's blood." She gently laid down to soak her hair and I began massaging shampoo into her scalp before she continued. "There is also the theroy, one that make more sense to me but is unproven as the others, that the abilty is merely one that the human already possessed and was greatly amplified upon joining our ranks."

"So you're saying I was always like this?"

"Yes." Wilhelmina nodded. "But you were too much of a coward to utilize it or even aknowledge it for that matter. If you think that is incorrect, keep in mind that everyone else has taken notice except you. Why should you? You would not take notice that you have two hands. Your perspicacious mind, however techinally dead, was a natural part of you and continues to be so. Now unhindered by human limits and emotions."

"There is one problem." I said.

"Which is?"

"I know you're trying to avoid talking about what happened. " I answered quietly.

"What is there to talk about?" Wilhelmina asked non chalantly.

"You're kidding me."

"It was only sex." She assured.

i was beyond astonished. "But he — "

"The same thing you did only last week. " She said curtly. "Granted I'd prefer it had not happened, but the best plans of mice and men often go arwy." She then shurgged. "There are always vermin like him, unable to accept all of life's pleasures are not handed down to them on a gilded platter and incapable of higher thought to realize there are other ways to acomplish one's desires.

"This isn't the first time." I concluded. "Or even the second time."

"I am beginging to understand that flaw you mentioned." Wilhelmina turned her face forward. "Yes, this has happened before. But time heals all wounds. You, yourself are an example of that."

"I don't understand."

"You did not always care for me." Wilhelmina turned to look at me. "If this had happened while you pined like a whipped dog for you human life, what do you think you have done or even said?"

It was true. Had this happened during my first few nights, I would have sworn upon penalty of death that she deserved it, but I knew now that I would have been wrong.

I mentally flashed back my first few nights.

* * *

**(ONE YEAR AGO)**

_I did not belive in reincarnation and that did not change when Wilhelmina brought me over, but I like to think I had changed so dramatically that it might as well had happened. I was not the same person that I had been when my heart pumped day and night to keep my body alive and I was no longer the whimpering pathetic creature that refused to accept what I had become._

_One night stuck out to me in particular._

_It had been three nights since I drained the girl that Wilhelmina had first brought me and I tenaciously refused each and every human she glamored to the nest._

_I sat in the corner of my room, Wilhelmina ordering me to empty the dozens of boxes that contained my old possessions only the previous night, brining my legs close and resting my chin on my knees. My eyes gazed around the room, the rest of my body remaining immobile. An old bookshelf that held the few precious novels and comics, some held together by masking tape, sat against the wall opposite my bed. The bed was a simple mattress and wooden springbox that laid upon an incomplex metal frame and was clearly untouched as I had no use for it. As the foot of the unscathed bed was a chest that Regina had been planning to do away with, but had not found the time to do so, so I had a place to store my clothes. My record player sat on the nightstand, plugged into the wall, but unused. The records themselves still were in their box in a far corner until I found a place for them or until I disposed of them, whichever came first._

_I was positioned so my back was to both the closet that held the claustrophobic, but supposedly safe, coffin and the door so I did not have to look at anyone who entered. I was silently fuming at my situation. Wilhelmina had ordered me not to leave the nest and she also had forbidden any attempt to contact my family and friends or any human for help. I naturally tried to disobey her, but my fingers refused to dial the numbers on my cellphone that Wilhelmina had returned to me when I attempted to call my father and mother. I did manage to dial 911, but I could not bring myself to hit the 'send' button to start the call. Frustrated by having the tools in my very grip, but unable to use them, I crushed the delicate device of plastic and metal._

_My wallowing was interrupted my a slight throb and I looked over my shoulder. I turned back to the wall only feel another throb, this one marginally stronger, and returned my gaze to the door. I snarled my annoyance and firmly brought my head back to its previous position._

_I lost all sense of thought when a third, skull fracturing, throb echoed. I fell to my side and cradled my head as the throb became a less of slight tingle and more of a resonating pound. I silently kicked and thrashed on the floor, unable to bear the sensation akin to having one's head being shook at the speed of a hummingbird's wings._

_Then suddenly, just as quickly, the throbbing ceased. I pushed myself up on all four and a pair of bare feet came into view. I looked up and saw Wilhelmina, wearing a long sleeve dark navy blue mini dress and her arms folded across her chest and an exasperated expression on her face._

_"Stop fucking doing that!" I growled._

_"Let that be a lesson." She reprimanded. "When I summon, you answer."_

_"What do you want?" I demanded as I resumed resting my chin on my knees and embraced them. "Or did you just get bored?"_

_"Adrian informed me you refused the human to enter this room." Wilhelmina said lazily. "Yet again."_

_"So?"_

_"What did you hope to accomplish?" she asked._

_"You know why." I scowled._

_"You are aware that if you do not feed from them then one of the others will." Wilhelmina remarked. "They aren't about to refuse blood when it enters the nest so easily."_

_"Just leave me alone." I complained._

_"You haven't fed since your first night." Wilhelmina reminded. "That was three nights ago."_

_"I hadn't noticed." I scowled._

_"I could order you to feed." She warned. "A few simple words and that would be the end of it."_

_"Then why are we even having this conversation?" I demanded._

_"You are behaving like a child."_

_"I WAS A CHILD!" I shouted as i shot up to my full height and my fangs ran out. "I was barely of drinking age and just old enough to live on my own before you did this to me!"_

_"I understand you are still coming to terms." Wilhelmina's face remained impassive. "But there is no need to shout."_

_"Do you listen when you talk or do find yourself drifting in and out?" I sneered._

_"I beg your pardon?"_

_"Just get out!" I pointed to the door._

_"What has upset you?"_

_"You know what."_

_"I would like to hear it from you."_

_I set my mouth firmly shut._

_Wilhelmina gave me an ultimatum. "Either tell me or I will order you to." She waited a moment then rolled her eyes. "Now!"_

_"I killed that girl." I turned away. "I didn't know her name or if she had a family. I had no idea who she was and had no idea who I was. She never did a single thing to me and I still killed her."_

_"So you are concerned with killing an innocent?"_

_"No." I said. "I'm concerned with how much I enjoyed it." I hung my head. "It felt . . . like . . . I . . ."_

_"More powerful than you even thought possible." Wilhelmina finished. "The more she continued to struggle, the more godlike you felt." She laid a hand on my shoulder. "There is no shame in this. Humans think themselves the top of the global food chain, but deep down on some primal level they know how weak they truly are." I turned to face her. "The only true difference between vampire and human minds is that we are more in tune with our instincts. Think back to when you first rose. You had no comprehension of what had occurred and yet when that thief tried to rob you, your instincts took over." Her hand when from my shoulder to my cheek. "This guilt you feel now is your mind rebelling as it adjusts to such a sudden and dramatic transformation."_

_I realized how comforted I felt as she continued to caress my cheek and turned away. "She still didn't deserve it. None of those people did." I thought came to me. "Isn't there a way to stop? Before I kill them?"_

_"Eventually, but not in your condition." Wilhelmina said. "Newborns require vast amounts of blood for the first year or so."_

_I wanted nothing more to bolt right then and there, my new body proving useful for once, but I did not. I would not make it far, not because the others were faster and stronger and could easily catch me, but Wilhelmina would and could stop me with a single word before I even set a hair out of my room, let alone the apartment itself. I also knew that, one way or another, I would not be able to refuse the next human or any after that night._

_I looked to my bookshelf absent-minded, not expecting a solution in the slightest. It was an old habit of mine to dwell in the world of comics and fantasy for a couple of hours to escape whatever woe occupied my mind. Then I caught sight of a gift Christine had given me for my twenty first birthday. It was just sitting next to an old tattered copy that held all of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works of Sherlock Holmes. She had said it was right up my alley as I had always been fond of murder mysteries and even more so if there was an excellent game of cat and mouse between characters, like Holmes and Moriarty._

_I could help but stare at my entire twelve volume collection of Death Note_

_The Japanese manga series was created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and manga artist Takeshi Obata. The main character was Light Yagami, a high school student who discovered a supernatural notebook, the "Death Note", dropped on Earth by a shinigami (a god of death) named Ryuk. The Death Note granted him the ability to kill anyone whose name and face he knew, by writing the name in the notebook while picturing their face. The series centered around Light's attempt to create and rule a world "cleansed of evil" as "God" using the notebook, and the efforts of a detective known as L to stop him. There was a lot of dressing up and elegant reasoning behind Light's motivation, but it all boiled down to one thing._

_He believed certain people just deserved to die._

_I had never thought this myself, at least I had not been so black and white about it. I certainly would have been less bothered if Wilhelmina had brought me Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, or even Emperor Hirohito, but ruthless megalomania dictators are few and far between even in the more unstable regions of the world. But if Wilhelmina was going to force me, I had no doubt of that, then I could perhaps try to minimize the damage and see if she was open to a compromise._

_"Then do you think you stick with criminals?" I asked almost pleading. "You know, people who won't exactly be missed."_

_"I had not thought of that." Wilhelmina paused as if to consider. "That is probably best. Less chance of police or others to come looking for them." She then nodded. "Very well. It should not be too difficult as cities as large as this one have no shortage of vermin."_

_"While we're compromising, is there anyway I can -"_

_"No!" She snapped. "And that is the last time I wish to hear of it."_

_"But you didn't even let me fin - "_

_"Our kind has only survived as long as we have because we stay in the shadows." Wilhelmina reminded me for the hundredth time. "Your family thinks you have perished and have no reason to think otherwise. Do not think you can change my mind with those pleading eyes and quivering lips. This is for your benefit as well as theirs."_

_"How?" I asked. "They were dependant on me. That money you paid them for my stuff isn't going to last forever. We had enough trouble getting by with the both of us."_

_"Their financial future is no one's concern, but theirs. Not yours anymore and certainly not mine. They will simply need to find a way or starve." Wilhelmina said callously. "As for your benefit, tell me. If you were to return to them without draining them the very second they stood before you, how would they react? You think they would accept you as their son because they love you? They might, but very unlikely once they learn you can only survive on human blood. They would most likely call you a monster or a demon and even try to destroy you for the sake of your soul. Also, if by some remote chance they did not, do you really think you can truly be happy as they continue to age? Will they? No, they would resent the fact they must grow feeble and die while you remain the same, year after year."_

_I wanted to argue with her, to show her she was wrong, but I could not. She had centuries upon centuries of knowledge and experience to counter anything I might say and at best I could forge the most basic and obvious reasons which she had already destroyed. She could very well have been lying, her every word just as false as her young appearance, but I could not prove it. I also had the uneasy feeling she wasn't as the truth is hardly ever better than fabrication._

_"Now that we have settled that," she said briskly as she walked to the foot of the bed and bent over. "It is time you fed."_

_"But . . ." I glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand. "It's two am. Sunrise's in three hours."_

_"Had you thought of this criminal solution sooner, I might have saved the favor Sally owed me for something far more important." Wilhelmina set a white cooler with a red cross on side. "But no matter."_

_"Who's Sally?" I asked, eyeing the cooler cautiously._

_"The coroner at Bellevue." She said as she opened the cooler. "Has been ever since it was founded in 1736, at a time when New York City did not extend much farther north than Wall Street. "_

_"I guess it would make sense for a vampire to pose as a doctor." I mused. "Fresh bodies and people bringing in and storing blood for transfusions, no wonder hospitals scare some people."_

_"Here!" Wilhelmina tossed an object to me which I snatched out of the air out of pure reflex. "Waste not want not."_

_I looked down and saw I held a transparent plastic bag. I had seen these bags countless times on television. It had a white label with lots of tiny writing, but a large 'O' was unmistakable. Wilhelmina had brought, stolen, transfusion bags filled with blood._

_I licked my lips, the lack of blood for the past three nights rearing its ugly head. "I . . . uh . . . "_

_"Remove your shirt." Wilhelmina said._

_I momentarily tore my attention from the mouth-watering morsel in my hand. "W-what?"_

_"Remove your shirt." she repeated as she set the cooler on the corner of the bed next to me. "Blood stains draw attention."_

_I pulled off the black tank top I wore and returned my gaze to the plastic Wilhelmina had thrown to me, now barefoot and bare-chested with only a pair of gray sweatpants on. Every instinct roared for me to drink and my hand trembled from the turmoil between my hunger and my will to preserve what little control I was still capable of._

_"I . . . I . . . I can wait until tomorrow night." I said trying to keep my voice devoid of emotion. "I'm not really . . . hungry."_

_"Car l'amour de Dieu!" She rolled her eyes before she flashed with anger and ordered. "Drink!"_

_My fangs pierced the thin plastic and the bag was empty before my very eyes. As I had predicted, I lost myself to the hunger and quickly seized another bag to drain which was followed by three more. The moment the last succulent drop disappeared down my throat, I turned my face towards the ceiling and basked in the new found strength and tranquility that had come with satisfying my morality induced fast. I'm sure if I still could, I would have breathed a sigh of content._

_I felt a presence in front me and looked down to see Wilhelmina, stepping out of her dress on the floor, and she brought my mouth to hers. Her tongue darted out and licked the corners of my mouth that had become stained with stray drops of blood. Unlike the previous time I had fed, I had the presence of mind to refuse and turn my head._

_Wilhelmina grasped my chin and forced me back. She smirked superiorly and brought me closer, this time her lips and tongue in a passionate kiss. I hesitated for hard second, but gave in only to regain my senses half a minute later and pull away. Wilhelmina, however, did not relent and forcibly brought me closer to kiss and chew the base my neck and shoulder as one hand went around my waist and rubbed my bottom while the other caressed my groin, kneading and stroking through the thin cloth of the sweatpants I wore. Something between a grunt and growl came deep from my throat as I fought the urges Wilhelmina was no doubt trying to stir up._

_"Can't you . . . take . . . a . . . hint?" I grunted._

_"Which one?" Wilhelmina began drifting down my chest. "Because you say one thing, but you're also shouting volumes to the contrary. Especially this!"_

_I clenched my jaw as Wilhelmina's hand drifting up and over the waistband the front of my sweatpants. "I'm not your personal fuck toy!"_

_"You are mine." She purred and slipped hand into my boxers. "Every. Last. Inch."_

_She removed her hand and then began rubbing my chest which only brought me closer. She closed her mouth around my left nipple and sucked. I just about had all I could take when her clever hands began to expertly and slowly pull down the thin pice of fabric that encased my legs when she decided to send me over the edge by using her teeth in the most taunting way._

_I was not sure if it was the lust or anger, but grasped her by the shoulders and threw her onto the bed. Before she could even blink I loomed over her, a leg on either side of me, and poised to enter. I went to enter when she clamped me in place with her legs on my waist. I was beyond words and snarled in protest as I tried to move forward, a few simple inches separating me from her._

_"Calm yourself, Dominick." She whispered gently and she reached up to cup my cheek warmly. "Last time was enjoyable, but slowly this time."_

_An hour later I laid next to my maker under the sheets, my bare back to her. Wilhelmina did not leave as I expected her to, but instead wrapped an arm under mine and a leg over my waist. Wilhelmina, a vampire just short a few centuries of a millenia, liked to cuddle. I was disgusted with myself, not because of what I just did, but because how comforted and reassured Wilhelmina delicate smooth pale skin felt against mine and how calming it felt as she clasped my hand so lovingly as I protectively crossed my arms over my chest._

_"You are upset." She said._

_"I just spent the last hour having sex with a vampire that not only killed me, but made it so I can't eat without killing someone myself, won't let me go home to my family. A family that, according to her, I'd kill the second I smelled them." I continued to summing up my mental list. "A vampire that could have dependants spread all over the world older than me. So you'll excuse me if I'm not exactly walking on sunshine. Not I can anymore thanks to you."_

_"Actually, it is impossible for me to have any descendants. I never had children while I had been alive." Wilhelmina said as a matter of fact._

_"Oh, that's okay then." I said. "Otherwise that would have made things really awkward."_

_"Really?"_

_"Almost thousand years old and still can't grasp sarcasm." I grumbled. "Then again, you are technically brain-dead."_

_"I'm beginning to wonder how you brought women back into your bed if this is you spoke to them afterward."_

_"Impossible for them to go back if they were never there in the first place." I muttered almost inaudibly._

_"Impossible for them to . . ." Wilhelmina paused. "Oh."_

_"That's right, oh." I said. "Feel free to add 'that' to the list if you're still keeping score." I retracted my fangs. "Provided you still care after all this time."_

_"I don't understand why that would upset you." she said. "Isn't it expected for men your age to sleep with as many women as possible?"_

_"That's exactly the point." I wiped the corner of my eye and stained my finger with blood. "The one time I decide to think with my dick like everyone else and this happens."_

_"You are aware you are immortal now." Wilhelmina reminded. "You can continue to sleep with women for much longer than they could ever hope for."_

_"And I doubt I'll ever worry about whether or not I have kids."_

_"You are strange one." she remarked. "From my understanding, I'd be hard pressed to find a man your age that truly wished to have children."_

_"I didn't." I admitted. "But I knew I'd eventually change my mind if I ever met the right girl. I guess I liked having the choice and now I don't."_

_I felt Wilhelmina lift her head to peer over my shoulder. "Sunrise is coming. We should retire to our coffins."_

_"If you say so." I rose up from the bed, not caring for my lack of clothing, and walked defeated to the closet. "Not like you're gonna let me stay in bed."_

_Wilhelmina also rose from the bed, but paused when she reached the door. "Dominick?"_

_"What?"_

_"In those few minutes before you fall asleep, think about this." She said. "Consider all the things that ever brought merriment and joy to you."_

_"Alright." I raised an eyebrow. "Anything else?"_

_"Then decide if they are reason enough for you to continue to walk the earth."_

_"Before you go," She paused and looked back at me. "Of all the people you met, why me?"_

_She smiled slightly as if partly amused. "Even as a small child, I could predict what a human, often to the letter, might do or say. That little quirk only grew when I was brought over as it became essential to my survival. It is a skill all vampires must eventually learn, even you." She turned to leave. "To do otherwise would mean a short existence."_

_"Just give me a straight answer for once." I said exasperated._

_"As you wish," Wilhelmina turned slightly and gave me another amused grin. "You proved me wrong."_

_Knowing she had left unable to answer her, Wilhelmina left and closed the door behind her._

* * *

As I had thought back to that night, my body had gone on autopilot and I only regained control when I registered that Wilhelmina was back in my arms. She was wrapped in her white bathrobe which she always kept hanging on a hook on the back of the bathroom door.

I stepped out of the door when Wilhelmina said to me. "Stop."

"What?"

"Let Mae have my coffin for the night."

"Why?"

"It is the etiquette. She is my elder and I am the authority of the nest. As a guest she is entitled to it without question, but it is best if I offer it to her."

"Alright." I said. "I'll tell her." I turned to my room. "Until then you can use mine. I'll sleep in the bed."

"But the window."

I pushed the door open. "What window?"

She looked to where the window had been, but saw only a large framed promotional poster for the 1972 Mario Puzo crime classic, The Godfather. The poster was merely a picture of Marlon Brando, wearing a tuxedo with a red rose in the breast pocket and holding an orange tabby cat, against a black background with the film's title just below him and a list of the actors and producers involved below that.

"I had the idea only a couple of weeks ago." I explained as I waked to the closet. "I bought some scrap sheet rock and plaster to fill in the window, but I didn't know how to go about painting it without having to do the whole room so I just hung a poster over it."

"That was very reckless." She said. "One crack and you would be unable to move to save yourself."

"I thought so too." I admired and Wilhelmina opened the door to the closet. "So I covered the space with layers of duct tape. One vertically across under one that runs horizontal with the final layer running diagonally. Between the sheet rock, plaster, three layers of thick duct tape, the frame's plywood back, the poster, and the fact I've been sleeping in it for the past two weeks probably means I'll be fine." I set her down to open the false bottom. "Plus I check it every other night, just in case."

"Do you still doubt that you possess a gift?" she asked.

"I'll know tomorrow night." I told her.

"How?"

"I'll have Mae take me to Matthew." I said. "There could be a chance I could help him end this quickly like I did with Ryuu."

Wilhelmina crawled into my coffin and I watched as she adjusted to a more comfortable position. I was about to close the door when she spoke. "Dominick?"

"Yes?"

She sat up and lightly brushed her lips on mine, much like she had when we first met. "Thank you."

I smiled warmly and closed the lid to the coffin then the false bottom and closet door. I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts then strolled out of my room.

I looked down the hall and saw Mae was still speaking as the rest of my nest were gathered around her. I silently made my way to her and took the empty seat across from her with Adrian and Regina on either side of us and Doyle still in the same recliner he had been in when we first entered.

"Mae, Wilhelmina said for you to use her coffin since she using mine for the night." I said once Mae finished recounting the event of the past three nights. "Its in the closet of the first room on right."

"Thank you." She dipped her head slightly.

"Now that's settled." I clasped my hands together and leaned forward. "I might be able to help Matthew like I did with Ryuu, but I need you to tell me everything from the beginning."

* * *

_**A/N **- Sorry about the longer than usual wait between updates, but c'est la vie. I'll also be taking a bit of break for the holidays or at least until after X-Mas. I might write a few lines here or there if I find the time, but I'll be back to my normal routine soon enough._

_So Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night_


	11. What Few See

"You know, Barnabé, I used to hate suits. I mean, absolutely despise them." I said, examining my reflection. "But then again, I never wore anything but my father's old suits."

"That dose not surprise me." Barnabé took a step back to examine with a tailor's eye. "It is rare a human your age that does. Youthful rebellion, I like to think."

"I can't say I disagree." I turned and looked over my shoulder. "I had saying about them."

"What was it?" Barnabé asked.

"Never met a man in a suit who hadn't stepped on someone to get it." I took another look at the three mirrors in front of me. "Even if that were true, this is definitely worth it several times over."

"I am glad you approve." Barnabé beamed proudly. "But might I ask what happened to the previous suit? Or is this just to add variety to your wardrobe?" Barnabé gave me a suggestive wink. "Perhaps, this was nothing more than a simple reason to see me again, no?"

"You don't give up easily." I said, a bit amused. "Do you, Barnabé?"

"The squeaky wheel gets the oil, _mon ami_" He responded smoothly.

"Oil?" I chuckled. "What are you into, _monsieur_?"

"Oh, it would take several decades." He mused. "But it would not be time wasted. I assure you."

My encounter with Sebastian and the shifters he managed to cobble together had left my previous suit, the midnight black one that Wilhelmina had sent me to acquire for our audience with Ryuu, a bit beyond repair. The dress shirt and tie could easily be replaced, but jacket and pants were too far gone. And since I was due to meet Matthew, Mae's sire and the sheriff of areas two, I could not very well arrive in a plain shirt and jeans. Granted, it annoyed me that vampires placed even more importance on appearances than humans, but there was no changing that. Best to put up with it and save the headache of explaining the pros and cons of such a practice.

Barnabé had, like before, settled on a more vintage design. The same design in fact with only slight variations in color. Since he had memorized my measurements, I had left quite the impression I surmised, I merely placed a call and he had begun work straight away.

So a few hours later, I stood clad in a dark navy blue four-buttoned suit with rust red pinstripes. Like its predecessor, the suit jacket had beautifully tapered sides and minimal shoulder. It also had the same very narrow lapels that were only about an inch wide and a white silk handkerchief in the breast pocket. I had requested he refrain from making a vest so I only wore a very light sky blue shirt and crimson red tie under the jacket. Instead of my leather loafers, I wore red Chuck Taylor All Star basketball shoes that ended just above my ankles. My old red sneakers, a pair of cheap knock offs as I could afford the genuniune article, had reached the end of their life.

In addition to the suit, I asked Barnabé to make one last thing.

"A most unusual request." he said, holding the piece up for me to slip into. "I remember my father owned one of these from his time in the military when I was but a child."

I stood on the small platform and examined myself once more. Now with my brand new, but post World War Two inspired, greatcoat, I looked the part.

One the first few things that Wilhelmina had drilled into my head in the subject of vampire etiquette, something everyone learns to do, respect your elders. Unfortunately, that went more than quadruple for vampires. And one of the many things that included was absolute honesty when a fellow child of the night asked you for your age. While I would be unquestionably honest if I answered twenty-one years old, my age referred to how many years had passed since I last saw the sun. The last time I was human.

Fortunately, there was no fault if a vampire assumed the age of another and never actually put the question to. For example, if I presented myself to Matthew, acting and clad in misleading clothes, he might very well believe that I was turned during World War Two or The Second Great War as it was called at the time.

It was not my wish to mock the sheriff, there are far easier and quicker ways to commit suicide, but to help him save face. If there is one thing that every vampire has common, it is that were all very proud. It would be crippling blow for Matthew, who was born somewhere in the middle of the second crusade and brought over just before the fifth, to follow the plan of a two year old infant, special ability or not. This would be the same if a toddler defeated a chess grandmaster with four simple moves. But it would be much more palpable for him to listen to the advice of a citizen of his area that was sired when the Italian Mob was at the height of its power, just when it was beginning to shift from racketeering to drug distribution.

Mae, of course, would tell Matthew all about me and my gift, as I expected her to. It would be a win-win situation for everyone, except for the packs that were harassing the sheriff. Matthew would save face and be rid of the werewolves, the packs uninvolved would think twice when they saw what happened, and I would no doubt be paid handsomely for my services and not insult a very old and powerful vampire.

"Gotta say, Barns," I slipped into a slight Brooklyn accent. "Ya really know how ta put on da ritz in a jiffy."

My greatcoat, or overcoat as most would call it, had a collar and cuffs that could be turned out to protect my face and hands from cold and rain. It also had a short cape around the shoulders to provide extra warmth and repel rainwater, if hypothermia was a concern for vampires. It hung down below my knees and the was just below the elbows. I slipped my hand into the pocket to deposit my cigarette case and lighter and learned It sported deep pockets. According to Barnabé, these types of coats were typically colored grey, though other colors may be used, like black, brown, and navy blue. I looked down and saw Barnabé had opted for a semi-dark greyish blue with bright golden brass buttons.

After paying Barnabé for his work, and tip large enough to rent a cheap car for the evening, I left his shop and began heading south on Eight Avenue. Had I not needed to visit Barnabé, it would have been a short trip up to Delancy Street on my motorcycle and over the bridge into Brooklyn.

Instead I walked to West Thirty-Fourth Street and Eighth and entered Penn Station. I took the C train going towards Euclid Avenue and headed back to the surface on the corner of West Sixteenth Street and Eight Avenue. From there, it was a mere two blocks until I reach West Fourteenth Street on foot and boarded the L train towards Canarise and the Rockaway Parkway. This train took me from Greenich Village all the way, along fourteenth Street and under the East River, to Bedford Avenue in Willamsburg. I checked my watch and saw I did not have the time to enjoy a peaceful walk and flagged down a passing taxi.

"Kent and First," I told the driver the moment I slid in. "Please hurry."

"Kent and First," He repeated. "You got it."

We sailed down Bedford Avenue as fast as the traffic would allow, blowing past South Sixth, Fifth, Fourth, Third, Second, and he threw himself onto South First Street. The traffic here was significantly lighter and barreled past W. E. Sheridan Playground until we reached the corner of Kent and First.

The cabbie slammed the brakes and we came to a halt with screeching tires, causing to cluster of pigeons to take to the sky in alarm.

"Kent and First." He announced.

I exited and handed him fifty dollars.

"No." I said as he began making change. "Keep it."

"Thanks!" He smiled brightly before speeding off.

I padded my side and smiled faintly when I felt the remains of the money Ryuu had given me. Even after almost a year of buying drinks for women, comics, plays on and off Broadway, and countless visits to Cinemas, I was mildly surprised to how much still remained. But then I made note of a few things as I walked to the Grasslands Gallery, Matthew's club.

Since I no longer could consume proper food, that was vast amounts saved on groceries. Wilhelmina had been glamoring the owner of the apartment building for a little over five decades, making sure to reglamor whenever the owner died and passed the property to their children, so we did not have to pay rent like the rest of the human residents. Wilhelmina had also been wise to include utilities like electricity and hot water, not that it was necessary, but vampires enjoy warm baths as much anyone else. I had not bought my motorcycle and nor did I pay insurance like I had when I drove my Nissan Maxima that had over two-hundred and twenty-five miles on it. I paid for fuel and I knew sooner or later it would require repairs, but I was not the slightest bit worried.

I knew when I was alive, after doing some rough calculations, that my bar-tending job at Yojimbo's would enough to support me if I managed to find a small room to rent. Perhaps, even a decent apartment if one of my friends would split the cost with me. It might be a financial strain at times, but I was certain I could make do for a time. But that was impossible with my father's poor judgement, my mother's ailments that were a drain on our funds, and my brother's exploitation of my father judgement to acquire luxuries that we could do very well without.

More than once, I could considered packing a suitcase and merely leave, but my conscious prevented me along with my cowardice. There no shortage of excuses I could forge to convince myself to stay just a bit longer. I was being incredibly selfish to even consider abandoning them. My mother's disability checks had been stopped. I had no college degree. My brother was only a few short years away from being able to legally work. Some misfortune could occur to my father, leaving debts to be paid by an ailing woman and a small child if I was not there. If it was physically possible, or even appeared to be, it crossed my mind and I stayed, sacrificing even the smallest luxury if it meant I would leave sooner.

But I knew, even then, somewhere in my subconscious that I dare not acknowledge, I was being a coward. It was infinitely easier to stay, to remain in the tranquility of everyday routine. It may not be a life I dreamed of, but it was familiar and familiar was safe. Every second of everyday of every year, I lived on. Convincing myself that one day, and that day would come, that things would change for the better. And I would have mostly likely continued thinking that until I finally found the courage to face reality, if not Wilhelmina had entered my life and made another choice for me.

I looked to the east, beyond the buildings of the city, beyond the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, to Long Island. I began to wonder, not for the first time, how my family was surviving without me. I had no intention of returning, even if I could, but I could not help my curiosity. They had been large part of life, my whole life if I was honest with myself, and that is not something you can easily banish from your mind. Maybe, after a decade or two, I would eventually forget them or stop myself from dwelling on past, but only time would tell for certain.

I mentally shook myself as I began to hear the sound of dozens upon dozens of conversations going on simultaneously.

If you were to visit the Grasslands Gallery during the day, it would be nigh impossible to locate unless you knew exactly where it lay. If not for the line that wrapped around the corner, it would be true for the night. I'm not sure whether or not if it had been a club when Matthew acquired it, but I was certain it once had been a warehouse that had been later renovated.

In case you're curious how vampires owned and bought real estate prior to the Great Revelation, I had been, allow me to explain. Since vampire were either too old to have their birth recorded properly or their deaths had been noted too far ago that it was impossible for any human to have lived, it was a simple matter to glamor a human to do all of the paperwork. As far as the humans, and the government, were concerned all sold and owned properties belonged to living human citizens. I had heard in passing, during my brief one night stay at home of the Sheriff of area three, Ryuu's home and enterprises were owned, on paper, by his human, Hillary. No doubt, Matthew had done something similar and had been doing so for centuries.

I saw two large men, both clad in stylish gray suits, standing at the end of a very extensive line with a red velvet rope blocking patrons from entering the club. The men must of have been twins, I surmised. If not for the fact the one farthest one from me wore facial hair, there would be no discernible way to tell them apart. I briefly wondered if they had always appeared to be mirror images of each other or Matthew thought it amusing to have his employees participate in such a practice.

Both were very tall and as thick as refrigerators with muscles so thick I was intrigued that their clothes did not tear whenever one of them bent down to all the humans entrance. Their skin was the color of dark coffee and was glossy smooth as if someone had covered their bodies in oil.

I assumed these two behemoths were the security Matthew had hired to police his club. I had the feeling that security forcibly removing you from the club was the

As I walked adjacent to the line, I learned the humans were less than enthusiastic about me entering the club without waiting like everyone else. Though I'd probably would've pointed out I was here on business as I was not a particular fan of clubs myself, it would have resulted in a massacre that would no doubt make headlines. On top of that, the revenue would take somewhat of hit and Matthew would not take it very well.

I stood before the two men and they looked down at me, arms folded across their chests. They were giving thier clothes a very strenous test in elasticity. I wondered if I should give them Barnabé's contact information.

The one on my right, Steven read the little tag over his breast pocket, jerked his head to the line. "End of the line's dat way."

"Clear the way!" cried a voice from behind them.

Instantly, they both took a step to the side in a movement that looked to be choreographed, and man in a white suit flew towards me.

I mimicked the bouncers and the man landed on the sidewalk next to me, staining his suit with blood and dirt. I had the vague suspicion, though he did not know, the man was extremely lucky to simply be evicted. I was sure others were not as fortunate, especially if Matthew was in the mood for a snack.

I looked up to see a middle age man that failed to notice that disco had fallen out of style. At least my clothes were only vintage inspired while his were no doubt authentic.

Like me, he wore a suit, but that was were the similarities ceased. His pale white skin almost glowed against his dark black dress shirt which had the top three buttons unfastened to expose his chest and medallion, a golden scorpion. That shirt was tucked into a pair of matching black pants that flared out from the knees. The pants were held up by a white leather belt that matched an open white vest, but the vest was some sort of cloth rather than leather. All he was missing was an afro and platform shoes, but his shoes were modern loafers and his hair was combed back neatly.

We locked eyes, evaluated each other for signs of danger, and gave the other the typical vampire greeting of a slight curt nod.

"Are you the one Matthew is waiting for?" His voice inaudible to anyone but another vampire over din of the humans.

"Yes." I answered just as quietly.

"Sorry about the putz fellas." He stepped forward and looked up to the bouncers. "Everything copacetic?"

"Was just showing the kid the line's over there." said the guard to my left.

"What kid?" The vampire looked to me and smiled. "Oh, he's cool."

"You sure?" asked the on my right. "I ain't never seen him before."

"I'm from outta town." I said in a Brooklyn accent. I slipped a fifty into each other their breast pockets. "Don't flip ya wigs."

They stood aside, ignoring the complaints of the patrons, and I strode in with the vampire behind me.

The club was what I expected. The dance floor took up most the room in the center with the DJ on a raised platform with turn tables and massive speakers on either side of him, blasting deafening pulses of a deaf person would think the music was a tad loud as the vibrations felt like small earthquakes underneath my feet. Rainbow spots danced around the walls and floor and white pulsed brightly like lightning strike to the beat of the music. On the far left stood a long bar, so long it took three bartenders to make full use of it. The bar sported glass shelves to display all multicolored bottles of alcohol, with small light underneath to give the illusion they glowed while the pulsing white flashes made them sparkle like stars. Adjacent to the bar, and in all the corners except the one that held the restrooms, were square dark leather chairs and couches for the patrons to lounge on and low tables for their drink to rest on.

"Any opinions?" asked my vampire guide.

"Ritzy." I said.

"Come," He began walking to a door by the bar. "Matthew is this way."

"What's ya name?" I asked as I followed. "If ya don't my asking."

"Ian." he answered. "I was Ian Richards in life."

"But its just Ian now?"

"Yes." He asked. "And your name is?"

"Dominick." I told him.

Ian and I reached the door, which he opened for me. I guessed he was showing courtesy because I was Matthew's guest or because he guessed me to be older. Learning for certain would require some strategic conversation. If my ruse was unsuccessful, best to know before I did or said something irreparable.

Ian closed the door and I saw we stood in the bar's storage room. This was the room that acted as a quick restock whenever the bar ran out of supplies. Since the room was fairly small, hardly larger than my bedroom when I was alive, the metal racks only held cases of drinks that were used often, beer mostly. There were two doors at the far end of the room and I was certain one had a staircase leading down. Like most establishments that served alcohol, the main supply room was most likely in the basement where everything from the cheapest beer to the most lavish imported liquor.

"This way." Ian retrieved a set of keys from a pocket. "Matthew prefers to have a bird's eye view of his prey."

He fitted a key into the locked opened the door to reveal a lift. It was an old lift, the kind that was simply a rickety metal shell and had gate that slid and locked into place. Ian did just that, pressed one of the two only buttons, and we began to rise.

"I'm curious." Ian said politely. "But are you the same one that aided Ryuu?"

"Yes." I produced my cigarette case and lighter.

"Forgive me, but I had heard you were a newborn."

Ryuu's sense of honor might be my undoing, but a response came to quickly and made sure to sprinkle on a Brooklyn accent along with some idioms I saw from a few films. "Ol' Ryuu was sired sometime during some Jap rebellion in the 1870's. Compared to 'im, I am a new born." I light a cigarette and held them out to Ian." Like his kid, Kimberly, and she was brought over when the japs caught us wit our pants down at Pearl Harbor and good Ol' FDR had them rounded up like cattle."

"As you were." He concluded and took a cigarette.

"Naw. A bit after actually." I lit it for him and thought. _If vampires consider half a century a bit._

"Mhmm." Ian exhaled a puff of pink tinted smoke. "What are these?"

"Aw, just something that came ta me in my younger nights." I said. "If was a broad, I wouda sworn I was knocked up. What with all the cravings and such." I puffed before continuing. "Let's say, a nice looking dame, or whatever ya prefer, walks by and ya ain't exactly an ideal locale ta have a little fun. One of these'll hold ya over till a more appropriate time."

"Impressive." Ian remarked.

"One tries his best."

A bell rang and Ian slid the metal frame back as two elevator door receded into the walls. I stepped out and looked back to Ian who remain where he was, except to slide the metal frame closed once again.

"I must return to my post." He explained as he pushed a button. "Last thing we want now is a _flea _infestation."

I nodded, understanding. Matthew had instructed them to be on the lookout for any Weres or Shifters that might be lurking about and stop them before they reported back.

I turned and examined the room.

It reminded me of the observation deck at baseball game. It was a symphony of gray with the wooden floor being the only exception. The walls were painted a blueish gray as well as the few pieces of furniture, a couple plastic folding chairs and a poker table that could be found in any department store in America. The ceiling was gray as well, but the natural gray of aluminum that it was made of. Since the whole building was more or less made of aluminum and steel and was once in fact a storage warehouse, I gathered Mathew had sectioned off the upper level for his own personal use.

There were large windows that overlooked the whole of the club, dance floor and all. I remember catching a glimpse from below when I first entered and thought it strange that there was mirrors where there should have been transparent glass. Now that I was one this end, I realized these were two way mirrors. The observer, vampire most likely, could look down and see all who entered and moved about, but anyone who happened to be looking up would be met with their own reflection. It was just as well. No doubt, this room was the last thing a few unlucky humans saw before they died, if the faint smell of blood was anything to go on.

There was a desk, positioned so whomever sat in it would simply look up to see whenever someone used the lift, with an empty chair and papers strewn about. On the far left of the room were old gray metal filing cabinets that most likely held profit and expense reports of the club. Opposite the cabinets, on the far right, were the folding chairs and table.

i heard a sudden creak behind me and whirled around, hissing and drawing my sword that sat in a concealed pocket Barnabé had sewn into my coat.

At the end of my sword was a man, a vampire, with an amused looked on his face.

His skin was a light brown, much like mine had when I was alive, but that was from spending time in the hot sun which he could not have done. His complexion was natural and I deduced that he had been more somewhere in the Middle East, but it was impossible to ascertain where or even if the region had been called that during his time. He was taller than me and almost as thin, but while I might have scrawny and unmarked his body had seen some hardship and was well toned. His nose was curved like a scimitar and his eyes were a deep brown like a tree. His black beard was well groomed, thick, and covered just about every inch of visible skin from below his ears, except for his neck.

He wore a deep purple button down dress shirt tucked neatly into pair of slim black slacks. His shoes were simple leather loafers, but they had been expertly cleaned and polish without a single scuff or smudge.

"_Marhaban_." he said calmly.

"Who are you?" I asked, not lowering my sword.

"Hmmm?" His eyes looked down and examined the blade at his throat with mild curiosity. "Plain steel with a silver edge hidden in the guise of an old man's cane. Lack of practice has not hampered Ryuu's craft." His gaze returned to me. "Seeing as you wield his work, I take it you are Dominick, the one whom I am to thank for the safe return of my child?"

"And I take it, you're Matthew."

"That is the name I have used for the past century, yes." He said. "But my true name is Mikail." He pronounced it Mac-hi-leel. "I believe you have a version of it in this language. Micheal."

"Yes." I lowered and sheathed the sword. "Sorry about that."

"It is to be expected, I suppose." He said. "Ryuu and Mae have informed me about your previous affairs with the werewolves. One would have to be a fool not learn to be their guard." Matthew regarded me for a moment. "Strange. Most newborns hardly survive their first encounter with them, even under the best of circumstances. Yet, you've not only survived, but brought an end to an entire pack."

"I hardly did anything myself the first time." I admitted. "The second wasn't much different."

"I do not understand."

"Ryuu and his nest were the ones that disposed of them." I explained. "And when Mae and I escaped, she did most of the work."

"This is true." He agreed. "But strength is hardly of use without the competence to apply it." He seemed to be recalling something from long ago. "My grandfather said something akin to that, 'the bow relies on the arrow and the arrow relies on the bow. Without the other, both are meaningless.'

"He sounds like a wise man." I said tactfully.

"_Ta'ala_" He motioned for me to follow. "It is time you met your quiver."

I frowned, but followed the sheriff to a door that was hidden in the corner of the room behind the filing cabinets.

This room was almost an exact replica of the the previous one, but it was chaos. Papers were scattered all over the floor. Some were crumpled and sat in a bin while others were littered around the bin since no one had thought to empty it. Pictures, some police mug shots and others Polaroids, were taped and pined to the walls with strings. Hasty hand written notes were attached to the photographs with words like Confirmed, Pending, and Suspected.

Hanging on right of the desk was old west memorabilia over a bookshelf. I saw two cleaned and polished colt revolvers mounted over dozen of old faded black and white photographs. Some were of men standing over the body of a large bear that had shot brought down. Others were single portraits of those same men smiling proudly with their rifles in hand. A few had those men standing over a bloody bullet riddled corpse or putting a noose around the neck of furious looking man. Sitting against the corner of a picture was an old bronze star that read Arizona Rangers. Next to another was a sheriff's badge that read Buffalo Marshall.

Adjacent to the bookshelf was an old wooden hat rack. Like you'd expect from the name, there were hats, but old leather cowboy hats of different colors. I also saw beautiful tanned leather gun holsters that must have fitted the colts like a glove. Tangled around the holster was cured bull's horn. It so old and worn, I suspected it came from the time when one required to hand pour gunpowder into the barrel of firearms to reload.

"Nice to you again." said a voice sweetly.

Standing in the corner was Mae. She looked to have recovered from Sebastian's hospitality. Then again, a nice deep feed and a long bath could do wonders. She was wearing a stylish emerald green top with what appeared to be long leather cord wrapped loosely across her stomach. It went quite well with the deep dark blue denim jeans and wood colored pumps. Her hair hung loose, but it had been styled and combed.

"That coat suits you." Mae added.

"Just picked it up." I said.

"A little old fashioned." She remarked. "I think saw soldiers wear something similar. The second great war if memory serves." Then her eyes widened for a moment as she comprehended. "Oh, you clever little fox."

"Probably best you don't tell anyone." I politely warned. "At least until the whole thing is over."

"Agreed." Her gazed flicked to Matthew for a moment. "No one is aware of your true origin but the three of us."

Matthew looked around and asked Mae. "Where is he?"

I did not know who Matthew was referring to, but Mae did. "I sent him below to feed. You've been running him ragged."

"Blame the king." Matthew said curtly. "I have been telling him for some time this city is far too immense for even three sheriffs."

"You're the sheriff for the whole city?" I asked.

"Yes." they answered together.

"The entire city?" I repeated. "Not just Brooklyn, but Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens, and the Bronx? All five boroughs?"

"Yes." Matthew sighed. "All the king has granted me four additional investigators, one for each borough. But it is hardly helpful since does not allow me to chose my own subordinates."

"Well," Mae added. "Except for one. And even that he toiled for years for the opportunity."

"Yes. And once he returns from his meal." Matthew spoke to me. "I want you to work with him. Perhaps a fresh set of eyes can of some use."

"Is he aware of who I really am?" I asked cautiously.

"No." Matthew said. "All he knows of you is your involvement with Ryuu and your escape from them."

"Then I feel I should warn you both." I chose my words. "I am going to put on an act."

"An act?" Matthew raised an eyebrow.

"It is for you to save face." I explained. "Your subordinates are going to want to know who I am. I believe its best to let them assume I am much older than I am."

"And how would that allow me to retain dignity?" Matthew asked suspiciously.

"Its one thing to listen to the advice of a vampire with a good idea." I said carefully. "But how would others react to you following a strategy that a two year old infant gave you?"

"I had not considered that." Matthew seemed to be mulling it over and not liking it in the slightest. "Exactly how old are you?"

"A little more than a year and half." I said politely.

"What?" Matthew looked to Mae. "You failed to mention that little detail. Do you expect me to trust an infant with such a delicate and important matter."

"He has a gift." Mae said coolly. "Like that blond vampire we encountered in St. Petersburg before we came to the New World."

"Even the humans have not forgotten that." Matthew said. "But he could fly." He looked to me. "Do you possess that ability?"

"No." I raised an eyebrow. "Even I could, how would that help you?"

Both Mae and Mathew paused as if searching for an answer.

"That's my gift." I said. "Not only asking the right questions, but answering them as well. For example, you mentioned most newborns don't survive thier first encounter with werewolves. Those werewolves not only managed to set up a headquarters in the most obvious location, but also managed to ambush and kidnap countless others of our kind, including your child who is several centuries old."

"You have a point." Matthew conceded reluctantly. "Continue."

"So how does an infant manage to not only survive, but escape and turn the tables on those same werewolves?" I pointed to my forehead. "With this. I didn't just become stronger and faster when my maker brought me over."

"I have not heard of this particular ability." Matthew said almost to himself. "But then again, there were those two and they certainly possessed enhanced mental capabilities."

"You mean the one that could communicate with her children telepathically." I said. "My maker mentioned she had crossed paths with her somewhere in what became Lotharingia in France."

"Yes." Matthew confirmed, but he appeared his thoughts were far off. "I also met another. His name was Stanislaus. Last I heard, they both had settled and established nests in southern kingdoms."

I took southern kingdoms to mean that they had settled somewhere south of Mason Dixon Line, but could mean anywhere south of Pennsylvania which encompassed half the country.

"Is it too much of stretch that a mental gift could present itself in another way?" I asked trying to keep the exasperation out of my tone. "Is telepathy somehow easier to believe than intelligence?"

"I suppose not." Matthew said uncertainly. "On the other hand, this is not a subject I have a great understanding of. I doubt any of our kind does."

"So do you agree?" i asked.

"Very well." Matthew grumbled. "Ryuu spoke well of you and he is not one for undue praise."

"Good!" I said. "Now that's settled, there is the matter of my fee."

Matthew acted as if the word was foreign to him. "Fee?"

"Well, you don't expect to help out of the goodness of my heart?" I said. "Do you?"

I could tell it irked the sheriff, but he asked. "How much?"

"Ryuu paid me one hundred thousand dollars for his problem." I said, noting that Matthew's went wide at such an amount. "But those were completely different circumstances." I pretended to think for a moment. "Would you agree to three percent of the profit once you've settled everything and the king has no doubt taken his cut?"

"Profit?" Mae asked. "This is battle, not a trade disagreement."

"Where there is a battle, there are spoils." I answered. "When Ryuu and his nest ended their dispute, they took of all the money the packs had earned through their drug distributions." I motioned to Matthew. "Ryuu gave a very large cut to each of his nestmates as well as mine and said he still had enough to rebuild his enterprises. That was even after the king took half. On the low side, I'm guess you stand to make three times as much."

This seemed to please Matthew. "So I will not be rid of them, but gain a very large sum of money."

"Not to mention a reputation." I added. "The other packs will think twice before crossing you."

The sheriff smiled, his fangs running out at the thought, and looked to me. "Done. Anything else?"

"Your word that you will keep my involvement from the king." I said firmly. "But feel free to pass my name to any other sheriffs."

"As you said, it will not be wise to do so, but as you wish. I will not inform the king, but I shall point my colleagues in your directions if they mention they are in need of aid."

"And one more thing, if I may?"

Matthew's grin dipped a bit. "Yes?"

"I hear werewolves heavily dominate them." I said. "The name and number of a motorcycle repair shop that deals with our kind without problems."

Matthew was momentarily taken aback by my last request, but he dipped his head and I had the feeling he was fighting the urge to laugh. "I will some inquires."

At that moment, the door opened and we all turned to see a vampire wiping the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief.

Like Matthew, this vampire had a slightly darker skin tone than Mae or I, but he was not from the same region as the sheriff. He was clearly Mexican, in both clothing and appearance, with thick black hair and a bushy mustache over his lip. He was only a bit taller than myself, just under six feet, and bit rounder. I surmised he had been turned sometime in his late twenties or early thirties when married life had given the faintest beginning of a paunch.

I immediately recalled his face in the photographs. He stood out to me because he was the only non-white man of the group. Even without his sombrero and gun holster, both witch hung on the hat rack, he looked as if he stepped out the set of a western. He wore a black button down shirt tucked into a pair pristine denim jean that had belt with a large decorative buckle. His shoes, to complete the image, were pointed light brown boots which I surprised did not sport spurs.

"Am I interrupting?" He asked without the faintest hint of an accent.

"Not at all." assured Mae.

"Ah," Matthew motioned to the vampire to approach. "Perfect timing."

The vampire examined me with curious eyes but obeyed and stood before me.

"Dominick," Mae said. "This one of Area Two investigators and my progeny."

"Oh," I lit up a cigarette and slipped into my accent. "Gotta say, never thought a classy dame like yerself would go fer the rancher look, but ta each his own."

"I am Abraham Ross." said the vampire coolly and he gave me a curt nod.

"Nice ta meet ya." I returned the nod.

"You recall Mae's escape?" Matthew asked. "It would have not been possible without Dominick."

Abraham gazed went down to my feet for a moment, reevaluating his assumptions of me. "So you are the one that aided Ryuu?"

"What can I say?" I smiled slightly. "I ain't one fer grandstanding."

"I have enlisted his service." Matthew said. "In the hopes he can repeat his previous triumph."

"What?" Abraham was less than pleased. "The other investigators are scouring the city as we speak. They are the verge of gathering employment records for the whole of the city."

"And how does tha help?" I asked. "Shouldn't ya be focusing on finding the packmasters or something like that?"

Abraham scowled but answered. "Werewolves must change at full moon. Once we acquire those records, we will be able to separate them from the plain humans. It is a matter of matching who was absent on the night of a full moon."

"Your approach is taking far too long." Matthew motioned.

"I have been working each and every night, as well as the other investigators, but they have the advantage of blending in with humans." Abraham sounded insulted, but at the thought Matthew was insinuating that he required help.

"Be that as it may, the two of you will work together." Matthew said firmly as he grew angry. "This is my prerogative and verdict, regardless of your maker's relationship to me. Am I understood?"

Abraham appeared he wished nothing more to protest, but he said. "Yes, sheriff."

"Come, Mae." Matthew walked to the door. "I have some inquires to make. "

Abraham and I watched as they both left.

"So," I said as I hung my coat on the rack. "Wanna help me get my boots on?"

"Excuse me?"

"Bring me up to date." I clarified. "What is the situation? Let me see what you've done so I don't waste time repeating what you won't work."

"We were approached by the leaders of the Alpha and Beta packs." Abraham growled. "It was a little after Ryuu came to us asking for help with the Mahingan pack." He paused a moment to gather his thoughts. "Like Ryuu, they offered a share of the profits in exchange for the use of Matthew's nightclubs for distribution. He was also to persuade other vampire owned business to follow suit."

"But like Ryuu." I said. "Matthew refused and that sparked a war which has lasted for the past several months."

He shrugged. "More or less."

"Alright." I said. "What have you tried?"

"That was my first attempt." Abraham motioned to board with photographs and string. "As I am sure you are aware of, two of the local packs have joined together with the intention of selling drugs. Using pilfered police records, I attempted to separate the humans from the Weres."

I nodded my understanding. "You got rid of anything not drug related?"

"Yes, but it proved to be a dead end. I think they have someone on the inside altering records to hide thier tracks."

"Alright." I looked around the room and found a map of the city with red pins covering almost every inch of Brooklyn. "And this?"

"I thought to aim my sight at the distributors. The red pins are the dealers, but they're far too numerous. We must have glamored hundreds of them between the five of us, but only a handful were Weres and none of them were part of the Alpha and Beta packs."

"Hmmm. Going after the suppliers will be the same." I said. "This harder than I thought. We can't just stroll down to the nearest gin mill and ask nicely."

"That is what I have been trying to explain to Matthew." Abraham sounded weary. "They do not live in the shadows as we do. They can have relatively normal lives, at least for most of the month."

"Yeah, but I have the feeling we're missing something. Something important and its staring us dead in the face." I continued pouring over the map. "Wait a minute . . . "

"What?"

"Werewolves and shifters have to change at the full moon." I said. "Right?"

"Yes."

"Then why haven't the humans caught on?" I asked to myself as the thoughts jumped in front of one another, each begging for my attention. "Seven million people in the city that doesn't sleep. Someone must have noticed."

"I don't understand."

"This is New York City." I looked up from the map. "This ain't exactly the Amazon. We got rats the size of small dogs and countless strays, but no wolves."

"I had not considered that." Abraham admitted. "But what are you getting at?"

"Smaller shifters, foxes and the like, could probably go by unnoticed." I resumed scanning the map. I felt it held the answer. "But what about the larger ones? A bear or tiger would definitely be seen."

"Oh . . ." Abraham was beginning to catch on. "How could I not think of that?"

"Find their hiding spots and you've found your packs." I said and began taking out pins to see more of the map. "But where?"

"There!" Abraham pointed to Central Park. "It is the only space large enough and the closest resemblance to a forest for miles."

"Yeah, it makes sense." I frowned. "But its not exactly closed. Anyone could catch sight of them if they happen to be in the right place on the right night."

Abraham had been close when he singled out Central Park, but there was something we were not considering. Abraham must have sensed it as well because he was become agitated. I could not blame him. Months of being run ragged and chasing down dead ends would leave even the most patient saint a bit grieved.

"Wanna take a break?" I offered,making sure to keep up the act. "Go downstairs and find yerself a nice girl, or guy if ya in the mood, and skip the small talk. A good looking Sheik like you will have it made in the shade.""

"No!" He snapped and I caught the flash of fang. "I want these _mestizos _hides for a coat."

"Well, that's not gonna happen if ya have cow." I warned.

"You don't understand!" He hissed.

"I understand you want revenge for what they did to Mae." I said calmly. "I was there. So was my sire, Wilhelmina."

"Then how can you remain so calm?!" he demanded. "You know what they did to them."

"A vampire is never at the mercy of his emotions, he dominates them" I recited. "Wilhelmina told me that. If keeping myself in check is what I need to do to succeed, then that's a small price to pay."

I watched as Abraham struggled to calm down. I might have suggested deep breathing, but that was out of the question. It was hardly two minutes when I returned to gazing at the map.

"I've marked Central Park as a possibility." I told him. "Can you think of any others?"

"None." He grunted. "It is the only place large enough."

I rolled my eyes and looked up. "Look at the map, Abraham. They all can't squeeze in and share eight hundred acres. Especially if you factor in the larger shifters and they fact they know people will be walking around at every of the night and can't risk having too many in one area."

"So what do you suggest?"

"Let's divide the city. Ignore everything but large green areas." I said. "Central Park could hold all the Weres and Shifters in Manhattan, but what about the Bronx?" I pointed to Bronx Park. "Like this. It's not as large, but it could hold a small pack or two."

Abraham marked it with a red pin. "Alright. What about here, Brooklyn?"

"You're the investigator." I told him. "You know the place better than I do."

Abraham studied the map intently for a moment and marked a location. "Prospect Park. It is relatively easy to travel to and from anywhere in the borough. What about Queens and Staten Island?"

I had found the answer to Queens while Abraham searched for Brooklyn and marked it. "Flushing Meadows Corona Park."

"And now finally Staten Island." Abraham said and we both stared at the map.

We found it together.

"There!" We shouted simultaneously and pointed.

"If you combine it with the Silver Lake Golf Course," I said. "It's almost the size of Central Park."

"Yes." Abraham agreed. "Clove Lakes Park makes perfect sense."

We both took a step back to appreciate our work. It the space of two hours we had made more progress than Abraham had alone in several months. But there was still a question that had to be answered.

"Someone had to of noticed." I whispered to myself. "Even if they were labeled as insane, someone must have taken a picture or caught one on video."

"I doubt they would not allow that to occur." Abraham reasoned. "If one were to catch sight of them, they'd mostly likely buy their silence or silence them forever."

"Yes." I agreed. "But that could get real old real fast for them."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean they're not like us." I said. "They'd like to avoid killing innocent bystanders as much as possible. If not for morality then to avoid to discovery by coincidence."

"So you mean they have a second hiding place?" Abraham said unsure.

"Its possible." A thought came to me and I could have sworn time stood still. "Where better to hide a tree than a forest?"

"Excuse me?"

"Where is the first place to look for a wolf?" I asked. "Regardless of a Were or a true wolf?"

"The forest." Abraham said instantly. "But this a city."

"Call Matthew and Mae." I said. "Now!"

I waited patiently as Abraham picked up a phone and called for Matthew and Mae. As I waited, I wordlessly processed the possibles and certainties. Weres have been using the city to shift for as long as the city itself, but no human had witnessed it. In all that time, there hadn't been a sighting of wolves or other large predators in any of the parks Abraham and I had marked. The packs could be leaving every full moon to more suitable locations in upstate or Long Island, but that could be expensive and highly conspicuous. In addition to being large and the only natural parts in all of the city, the locations all had one thing in common.

"Have you something to report?" Matthew asked coolly.

"Yes." Abraham nodded. "We have managed to narrow our search area."

"Look at the map." I motioned to it. "Central Park, Prospect Park, Clove Lakes Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Bronx Park."

"The city's parks." Mae said.

"So it seems." Matthew looked at the map. "What now? Burn the parks to the ground to send a message?"

"No." I said. "Look again."

"What are we looking for?" Mae looked her child.

"I don't know." Abraham motioned to me. "He sounded as if he discovered something."

"Well?" Matthew looked to me. "Is this true?"

"All of these parks have one thing in common." I explained. "That's the key."

They all began switching their gazes. First to the map, then to each other, back to me, and finally to me. Their blank stares told me all I needed to know.

"Look at you three, so clueless. Is it nice not being me?" I gloated. "It must be so relaxing."

"I am glad you're enjoying a rare position of power." Matthew warned. "But I do not. Speak!"

"They all have large zoos." I sighed. "I'd check old newspapers, but there would be reports of wolves in Central Park if they didn't use them during the full moon. They probably have someone in place to make sure they have an empty habitat suitable for wolves. You'll probably find larger Shifters, bears and panthers, along with them."

"So what do you suggest?" Mae asked.

"Have the investigators watch the zoos from a distance at night and glamor a few humans to watch it during the day." I suggested. "Using the information Abraham's gathered, match the faces with those of confirmed members of the Alpha and Beta. I'm sure the last thing you want is more packs to join the fight against you." I lit a cigarette before I concluded. "From Ryuu said, Weres and Shifters tend to outnumber us even the best of times. And that fifty percent cut of all profits from vampire owned businesses isn't much incentive for any of our kind to stay."

"And once we accomplish that?" Matthew asked.

I cocked my head. "That's up to you."

We spent the next hour hammering the finer details and devising a few strategies in case of certain events. Once Matthew was satisfied, assuring me he might call for my services at some later date, I donned my coat and Abraham escorted me to the door.

The club must have just closed its doors as I saw Ian giving directions to the exit to the more inebriated humans. The bartender were taking break before they began breaking down the bar while other humans were mopping the dance floor and wiped tables. On the stage, the DJ was unplugging wires while another assisted him by stowing away records.

Ian gave me a curious look and I gave a slight nod. He returned the nod and went back to corralling the humans towards the door.

"I want to thank you." Abraham said stiffly as if he was uncomfortable. "I allowed my emotions to cloud my judgement and you reminded me why I became investigator."

"You want to me sheriff." I said. "Don't you?"

"Yes." He admitted. "I was part of large group of that roamed the land enforcing the law when I was still human. Eventually that group dispersed. Some men found wives and others died in service. I alone continued looking for a town that would have a dirty Mexican for a sheriff. It would not such an issue now, but then it was." He reached into a pocket. "One sheriff, a man by the name of Vernon Ricketts, admired my zeal and made me his deputy. It was fine for a time, but then one night Vernon ventured to the saloon for a drink and did not return. Naturally my curiosity was aroused and I found him behind the saloon." His voice grew dark. "Mae had disguised herself as one of the whores and was in the midst of staging the area so it would appear he had been robbed and killed."

I said nothing, but I knew the next part of his story.

"I managed to draw my gun and actually fire two into her chest." he continued. "She had heard tales of me and the group I roamed with and the many heroric feats we accomplished. She was so impressed that she saw fit to bring me over." He handed me an old pewter hip flask with engravings. "Years later I unintentionally returned and learned that Vernon had left me this in his will. I want you to have it."

I looked down at the flask. "Why?"

"When Mae was captured, I feared the worst." He explained. "Then you returned her to me. While it is nowhere equal to what you have done for me, I can only think of one way to repay you."

I bowed my head, to not insult him. "Thank you, Abraham."

"Thank you, Dominick." he inclined his head. "For everything. And know you have three allies awaiting to return the favor, should you ever find yourself in need of them."

"I will." I said and began the short journey home.


	12. Then There Was One

"You're leaving?" I asked.

Doyle adjusted the old rucksack on his shoulder. " 'ope yer not expecting a long good bye, Peaches."

"Why?"

"Our lil' gang's been squatting for almost two decades now." Doyle told me. "I took the lift with an old bint a couple nights ago. She let it slip that she saw when I moved in."

"Oh." I said understanding what he meant.

"This has to happens every now and then." Doyle shrugged. "And we all can't bolt at the same time."

"Where will you go?"

"I'm gonna get out of tha city." Doyle gazed past me and out a window. "Funny, I never thought I'd get bored with this place, but it just goes to show. Maybe I'll pop over ta Chicago and see if what Maryanne is up ta."

And just like that, Doyle left the nest. I won't say I pined for his presence, but I found it odd without his constant joking and carefree attitude. Regina said the nest was quiet without him. Even Adrian, who Doyle annoyed the most, claimed the next few days were boring as if Doyle was a source of amusement for us all. Wilhelmina did not betray her thoughts on Doyle absence one way or another, but I did notice she acted if Doyle's room had left with him.

Matthew assured I would receive my fee when his dispute with the Alpha and Beta packs was finished, however long that took. I was not unduly concerned. As I said, vampires are deeply proud and Matthew would not dishonor himself by going back on an agreement even if it was to a newborn. He did send part of our agreement, namely the contact information of a few motorcycle repair shops that dealt with our kind.

If I had to put it into a black and white perspective, each of the supernatural beings were different level in terms of social status. And to make thing even more addled, each group had their opinion of the other's level. From what Wilhelmina had explained, vampire were at the very top. The white collar of the supernatural community. You could find us running various business, through human proxies of course, making very large profits and using our non existence to avoid all those pesky laws and taxes.

Below us came the Werewolves and the Shifters. They tended to dominate occupations that dealt with construction and other kinds most would consider blue collar. From my understanding even though vampires grouped them together, Weres considered themselves above Shifters, but that was their business. Within their section, there were the half breeds, humans that had been bitten and changed into some human animal hybrid at the full moon. Among the Weres and Shifters, these were the bottom of the barrel and hardly a step above human.

At the very bottom were the non supernatural beings, humans. The humans had their subcategory. Among those humans were those that could manipulate magical, witches. They are humans that remained human, but still needed to be monitored as they had some control over magical energies, which all the other higher beings very existence were rooted in.

After my meeting with the Sheriff of Area Two, things returned to normal. I resumed my place as Wilhelmina's side and we continued to hunt, Regina and Adrian occasionally tagging along whenever the mood struck them, but something felt wrong. I couldn't put into words, but it was as if Wilhelmina was becoming more distant.

It began in small instances, hardly noticeable at first. She might send me off to find my own meal for the night, but I took that to mean she did not want me fall back on relying on her. Whenever I went to kiss her or touch her in anyway, she would turn and step away from my reach. She no longer sought me out to join her in bed, or any human at all I noticed. Naturally, despite her protests to contrary, I assumed she was still recovering from our encounter on Halloween. She often left the nest without a word to me and would not return until the next night, giving me only a brief explanation if at all. All she would say is that she lost track of time which she followed with an angry demand to stop policing her like a child. She even went as far to order me to stop pestering her. She had not given me an order in months.

My nestmates were no help. Regina, who watched the silent exchange between us with mild curiosity, said she found it strange. In all her time as part of the nest, a bit over sixteen years, the closest thing even resembling Wilhelmina being depressed was when she saw Les Misérables for the first time in a century on Broadway. Adrian, who had met Wilhelmina in the 1860's and always found himself close by, said he had seen her like this only three time before. The first time when hardly a few night after they had met. The second was during the first few years of World War One and then once more during the late 1960's. He claimed wasn't privy to the exact reason for her gloom, but I knew he was being less than truthful. I resolved to confront him, but as luck would have it it was not to happen.

He must have sensed my intentions because the next night his room was bare. It was as if no one had used the room. The only evidence to the contrary was Adrian's scent on the bed and empty drawers and closet. Regina was just as surprised when she caught sight of me standing in the doorway. We just looked from the empty room to each other as if our eyes were not seeing what they were seeing. In the end, we both accepted Adrian was gone. Regina offered to join her to a free concert in Central Park and, with nothing else to do, I accepted her invitation and we both found our meals for the night among the crowd.

I suppose we both expected Adrian, the most polite of our nest, to least bid us farewell like Doyle had, but apparently he found it easier to slip away quietly. I was not overly concerned. I was certain I would see Adrian soon enough. He always seemed to be where Wilhelmina was and since I would be as well, it was just a matter of time.

As if the size of our nest was directly proportionate to her mood, Adrian's sudden and quiet departure seemed to have a profound effect on Wilhelmina. At best, I could describe it as she was going through the motions. I began following her, out of concern, and I did not like what I saw. She completely stopped seducing humans, choosing to ambush an unlucky humans from a dark alley or catch one unawares in Central Park. I was not preoccupied the she had fell back on her habits of killing a human, I had more or less come to accept the fact there was no use fighting, it was the habit she left her kills out in the open. She might take a minute or two to arrange the body in a more natural manner, but more than once she did not bother to obscure or hide the puncture marks that were an all to obvious sign. I did my best to add to the illusion, but more than once the results of her negligence were reported. Fortunately the articles found in back of unknown tabloids are not taken seriously, but anyone privy to the supernatural world would know better.

I was so intently focused on my maker, I failed to notice Regina slowly moving out piece by piece. I'm sure if she was not such an avid collector of clothing, she could have disappeared as quietly and suddenly as Adrian. One night I went to ask her something, I honestly forget what exactly, and the door opened to reveal a bare room. The bed still sat against the the wall to my right with two nightstands on either side. There was the dresser with large mirror I had often seen Regina sit in front of as she primped and groomed, now bare of all combs and make up.

"Thinking of redecorating?" asked a voice behind.

I turned to see it was Regina. She was a women's business suit. A creamy white blouse with a gray jacket that had dark black buttons. She had a matching gray skirt that reached her knees and her her black pumps matched the blackness of the buttons perfectly. Her midnight hair hung loosely, which actually matched both the buttons of her jacket and shoes, and tumbled in a perfectly down to the small of her back. Resting against her leg was a smallish suitcase that wheels and long handle so one did not become tired by lugging it around.

"Not really." I said.

"Oh," Regina motioned to the wall. "I was thinking you could knock down that wall."

"Why would I do that?"

"My room and Doyle's is actually the master bedroom." Regina explained. "Sooner or later you're going to run out of space to put those comics you like so much, if you and Wilhelmina plan to stay. You could knock down the wall and add some giant bookcases on the walls. Then you'll have a nice private library." The idea seemed to have excited Regina, as if redecorating was a passion she had forgotten and rediscovered. "Maybe you could put a red mahogany desk on the far end, same color as the bookcases, and one of those hollow globes people use for liquor off to the side. Oh, I almost forgot. Some red leather armchairs for guest and some green carpeting."

"That does sound nice." I admitted. "Why don't you stay? At least until that's finished."

Regina frowned and actually believe she was debating whether or not to take the offer. "I'd better not. My husband liked to joke I had a problem. It'll start with a library and it'll end chasing out every human on this floor for an indoor swimming pool and basketball court."

"I wouldn't mind a pool." I said. "I never learned to swim. Its not like I have to worry about drowning anymore."

Regina bent down and pinched my cheek, shaking my head a little with an amused smile. "You are such an enabler, but I can't."

"Then I guess this is good bye." I said, trying not sound desolate.

"For now. We're immortal. Our paths are bound to cross eventually." Regina bent down to my level. "But before I go . . ."

Regina's mouth was on mine before I could react. Regina had often hinted how she would like to sleep with me, often with Wilhelmina or someone else there as well, but I dismissed it as playful teasing since vampire do not mate with each other except for one random night. But as Regina kissed me, quite passionately and her hands bring me closer as I kissed her back, I couldn't help but think she had been genuine in her desire on some level.

Regina pulled away and smiled. "Be seeing you."

And with that, she turned and walked out of the apartment, her little suitcase trailing just behind her left leg.

An hour later, Wilhelmina returned from wherever she had been. I caught the faint scent of blood and gathered she must have fed recently. I watch as she made her way to her room without a word or even glancing in my direction. I had been trying to pass the time with the latest of Stan Lee's characters, but I was too distracted to read or even admire the masterful artwork. I tossed the comic book on the coffee table and went to Wilhelmina's room.

As usual, William Wallace's sword and hammer hung on the wall on either side of the closet that held Wilhelmina's clothing and coffin. The canopy bed was still in the same place it had been when I first saw about a year and half ago. Wilhelmina did not sleep in it like I did with mine, unless whenever we agreed a breif respite from a night of passion, but she still changed the sheets and they were the most expensive silk sheets that money could buy. I'm certain that several high end fashion models wore hand tailored dresses made from the same material. And on top of those sheets were the Wilhelmina had taken off, a pastel blue blouse and dark brown pants, along with some underwear on the floor in front of the bed.

I looked to see my maker sitting in front of mirror, like the one Regina had left behind only more grand. She was wearing her white bathrobe as she brushed her hair with one of the brushes she had borrowed from Regina. I silently watched as she made long careful strokes

She had not bothered to tie the belt which did not surprise me. Wilhelmina was a great and enticing beauty and after nearly seven hundred years of being pursued by men and women, she damn well knew it. While it had taken some time for me to accept that I had grown attached to her, some would use the word love, I would've had to have been blind to deny her beauty. Had she been around the times of ancient Greece, she would have been worshiped as Aphrodite herself. The way her vibrant hair caught the light like her striking emerald eyes combined with the suggestive curves of her figure and that soft pale skin, it was enough to convince any mortal. To say nothing of her transcendent comprehension of the ways of lovemaking, able to send both men and women on the greatest planes of pleasure few would ever see.

I took a chair that sat in the corner and placed it behind her. I sat and gently tried to take the brush from her hand. She pulled away in alarm, which confused me. We stared at each other for a long moment, Wilhelmina's in confusion while I opted for puzzled concern. She looked down at the brush before mentally resigning and placed the tool in my hand. Taking the hint, I began stroking much like she had only moments ago.

A minute or two passed before either of us spoke.

"You have done this before?" Wilhelmina asked.

"Once or twice." i admitted.

"When?"

I hesitated. "Uh, when I was alive."

"Who? Your mother? Your sister?"

"My mother didn't keep her hair long enough and I only had brother."

"A cousin then?" Wilhelmina concluded uncertainly.

"No." I debated with myself whether or not to tell her for a minute. "I brushed Christine's hair when she wanted to grow her hair for a play."

"Christine?"

"Yes." I began drifting towards the middle as I had finished Wilhelmina's left. "Christine Willis."

"This is the first time you've mentioned her." Wilhelmina pointed out. "Your family and friends yes, but I do not think you have ever mentioned this Christine in all our time together."

Perhaps my gift was not all mine as Wilhelmina had led to believe. Nearly a year and half of spending almost every night together and she notices the one little detail I purposely left out.

"No, I haven't." I admitted.

"Less than joyful memories?"

"You could say that." I changed the brush to my other hand. "I try to not think of her."

"Why?"

"Well," I paused for the right words. "For the lack of a better word, I wasn't as skilled at talking to women or even people." I chuckled ruefully. "To put it bluntly, anything that even remotely resembled a beautiful woman scared me."

"But not with her."

"No." I confirmed. "Women just used to ignore me and that incident with Brian didn't exactly help. Christine was really the only one who was nice to me. We had shared a couple of classes, but it wasn't until she started dating one my friends that we really started talking to each other, despite the fact we had lived on the same street for years. She became one of the group after that, even after she broke up with him."

"So you sought to take his place?" Wilhelmina asked. "To catch her on the rebound as they say now."

"No. I wanted to, but I didn't." I said reluctantly. "Oh, I thought was by learning to play he piano and guitar or joining in school plays, but I was nothing more than a close friend who would always be there with a smile and a shoulder to cry on."

"Were you close?"

"We did everything a couple did except have sex." I found myself smiling oddly enough. "We would go to the movies, have dinner together, go out for drinks. Hell, we even did laundry together sometimes."

"But she did not desire you."

"She might have." I shrugged. "But she never brought it up and neither did I."

"Why not?"

"I suppose I was scared." I said. "I didn't want to risk her rejecting me so I just sat back watched her go with other men. It would end sooner or later and I would be there to comfort her and hoping she'd realize I was the one for her."

"I'm curious." Wilhelmina said. "What happened?"

"You." I told her.

"What?"

"I met you." I said.

"Oh." Wilhelmina seemed to let that sink in as it truly bothered her. "When did you see her last?"

"Our first night together." I said. "Before I left for the city. She sort of had message for you."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"I told her a pretty girl, you, invited me to a party. She joked that whatever happened to let you know I was hers." I paused as I recalled. "At least she grew bored of me."

"Do you miss her?"

"I'm not sure." I racked my mind for the right words. "I did at first, but it got easier over time. I still sometimes wonder how she handled my death or what she is up to, like she did went on to become a doctor or not, but those are and few between."

"_Il a cultivé de bien différente dans un délai bref_," she whispered quietly to herself. "_Mais il tout de même exactement comme vous. Eh, William_?"

"That's the second time you've said that." I realized that Wilhelmina had momentarily forgotten I could speak fluent French.

"Said what?"

"When you were draining me, you mentioned a William." I told her. "The blood loss didn't exactly make it easy to process, but I think you said 'just like William.' Did you mean your brother, William Wallace?"

"Is your room still light tight?" she asked suddenly.

I blinked. "What?"

"Is it still safe to spend the day in your room?" she stood from her seat, leaving me still holding the brush. "Dawn is approaching."

"I checked it." I told her. "Its the first thing I do every night. Why?"

"Come."

She left the room without another word.

I set down the brush and followed her to my room. As I entered, I saw Wilhelmina sliding out of her robe and climb into the bed. I kicked off my shoes and removed my t-shirt, leaving me in gray sweatpants and a black undershirt as I climbed into bed. I leaned on an elbow and Wilhelmina mirrored me.

"History knows very little of my brother, other than his acts of rebellion against the English." Wilhelmina began. "That is mostly due to me. Our kind tends avoid bringing important or well known humans into our rank. Fortunately, it was a simple matter of glamoring an english general to raze the town where our family had stayed. When William was executed the English sent men with orders to arrest my for my mother and I and any sisters should I have them."

"But they were already dead." I said. "Killed during a raid."

"Yes." She confirmed. "I overheard them questioning the innkeeper of possible survivors and if any were using the name Wallace in the next town over. Wymark and I were listening for any loose ends that we might have missed in erasing my existence. The innkeeper, whom Wymark had glamored him to forget he had seen us only minutes ago, spoke truthfully that he knew my father and saw that our home was one of the first attacked and had not seen or heard of the Wallace family since."

"But why come after you and your family?" I asked. "If William was already dead, what could you or anyone else do?"

"I assume to execute us as well so we would not bear children and not continue the Wallace line, but it was pointless as the Wallace clan was quite large with cousins spread as far as France. Perhaps to make an example of us?" Wilhelmina paused. "They did eventually find and execute my father. They charged him as a traitor to the crown and had him publicly hanged. My mother had died months before the attack during childbirth I heard the innkeeper tell them, but did not know what became of the child. They naturally tried to force my father to tell them, but all they learned was that my mother gave birth to a son."

"You mean?"

"Provided nothing happened to my youngest brother's descendants and each generation sired a son, the direct line of Alan Wallace endures." Wilhelmina instinctively began to curl up against me. "Though William's ended with him."

"He didn't have children?" I asked as I laid upon my back and wrapped my arm her. "I thought people married really young and had children back then. Like fourteen or fifteen."

"None would give it a second thought, but that was more associated with royalty and those of high station." Wilhelmina said. "It was not much different than it is now. Although I understand for a woman to have a child at sixteen in this era is common for an entirely different reason."

"So William never had any children? Not even out of wedlock?"

"That was what surprised me most about him." Wilhelmina laid her head on my shoulder. "He was a tall man with the body of a giant, with thick strong arms and legs. He had our father's stoic handsome face along with our mother's eyes. He could have an entire tavern hanging on his every word as he told a tale from his childhood and a jester's wit, but he was terrible with women."

"What?"

"He still would have doubts if a woman was to stand before him naked and say take me." Wilhelmina smiled.

"I can sympathize." I said smiling as well.

"He hardly had to crook a finger for a woman to coming running, but that was as far as things went. He was afraid of being perceived as crude and it would end with the woman becoming disinterested and turning her attentions to a more bold suitor." Wilhelmina chuckled into my shoulder and an arm went over my chest and a leg went over mine. "And when he learned to play the lute, it was like cat surrounded by a dozen mice and completely clueless on how to proceed."

"I take it he was quite good?"

"He was astonishingly talented. He had a fondness for poetry, and he had a knack for telling stories, but he was not an artist with words as others were. It is unfortunate history only knows of his military exploits and hardly at that."

"Its too bad we're in the dark." I said. "If humans knew about us, and didn't try to hunt us down, you and others could fill in the gaps of history or set some things straight. Like Jack the Ripper and Zodiac victims. I'm willing to bet Jack was a vampire and Zodiac was on of his children trying to follow in his footsteps."

"That is an interesting theory." Wilhelmina admitted. "But we will never emerge from the shadows."

"I guess you're right." I said. "So I did William ever get over his little problem?"

"It was a simple matter of showing him what he was missing and how easily he had passing it up."

"How?" A thought came to me. "You didn't . . ."

"Again that was something those of higher station than ourselves engaged in. To keep both the bloodline pure and wealth. Our clan was one of wealthiest under English rule, but our family was on the lower end of prosperity." Wilhelmina said. "We did, however, have enough gold for servants and such. I learned that one servant, Beatrisis, desired William and he did as well. I convinced Beatrisis to surprise him in his bed and that was the end of it."

"Really? That was it?"

"They could not keep their hands, and other parts, away from each other." Wilhelmina laughed at her memories. "Once, my father settled a debt with goat and sent her to fetch it from its pen. Several minutes passed before he grew impatient and sent me to inquire after her." Wilhelmina's hand began absently rubbing my shoulder while her leg caressed mine up and down. "I found the goat chewing on a woman's shoe and I heard sounds in the next pen over. I discretely peer around the corner and saw them together on a pile of hay."

"So what happened?" I asked. "Did your father find out?"

"If he was aware, he did not confront either of them. Most likely he considered it harmless mischief of youth. My mother said nothing to me so I assume she was not aware or kept it to herself." Wilhelmina began rubbing her cheek, much like cat, against my shoulder. "William eventully left for war, with each return more brief than the last until he thought it unsafe for us."

"And Beatrisis?"

"She eventually married, but to whom I do not remember as I was concerned with William's safety and decided upon following him. I do recall she was with child when she did, William's child, and it was to avoid scandal."

"Then William's line didn't end with — "

"It might have not, but I had already left before the child was born and I do not if the child survived. I also do not know my brother's expolits during his rebellion. He must sought the services of the whores, as all the men did during those times, but I severly doubt any carried the infant to term." Wilhelmina said reluctantly, but firmly. "Once we left our home, neither William nor I returned home. I do not know what my family thought had happened to me. Perhaps, they discovered I had followed my brother to war and some misfortune had occurred or that I met my end when William met his. I suppose that is close enough, but my death was not as permanent as his would be."

I looked over and saw Wilhelmina's eyes were beginning to fill with blood around the edges. Wilhelmina's voice was steady and even, but she was close to tears. It seemed she had been doing what I had been and pushed her human life to the darkest corners of her mind and acted as if they did not happen.

Like actors on a stage, we all assume different roles throughout our lives to others. During my human life I was many things. To my father and mother I was their son, but I was also a brother and a provider. To Christine, I was a close friend she could always rely on no matter what occurred. And I was nothing more than a weakling with slightly more value than those around me to Brian. When I met Wilhelmina, I took on more roles. I became a predator, a musician, a consultant to others of our kind, but more importantly her companion. And right now, Wilhelmina was the fearless vampire I had come to love. Nor was she the the mischievous goddess of beauty with eagerness for adventure. No, right now she was merely a girl who missed her brother and blamed herself for his untimely death.

Wymark had better be dead, unequivocally and absolutely dead. Otherwise I would have more than just words for him for exploiting a young woman's devotion to her brother's safety.

I brushed a lock of hair from her face and wiped Wilhelmina's eyes. "I would have loved to meet you while you were alive."

Wilhelmina looked up, taken by surprise. "What?"

I kissed her forehead. "I would have loved to see you laugh in the sun. To see you smile without the darkness brought on by centuries of witnessing the worst the world could offer."

"I do not understand." Wilhelmina wiped her eyes.

"I am so proud." I brought her closer and gently kissed her. "Even after nearly a thousand years of walking in the shadows of humanity and everything that has happened to and around you, you still feel for your brother. You can still laugh and love. I can only hope I still do after so much time."

"You will." Wilhelmina whispered. "i have no doubt even after ten thousand years."

"How can you be sure?"

Wilhelmina drew in closer, "Do you remember when you asked me why I made you and how I told you proved me wrong?"

"Yes."

"For nearly a thousand years, I have fed from great warriors to wise scholars to quivering cowards and not one of them behaved in a way that surprised me. A warrior would do everything he could to fight me. A scholar would use his words before he accepted his death and the coward would whimper and beg." Wilhelmina kissed me for a moment and slipped off my shirt. "When I first saw you, I thought were nothing more than a frightened child beaten down by the world around him. But then, as the life left your frail body, you did something I did not expect."

"I fought back." I said.

"Yes. You did not beg or cry like I expected you to. Instead, despite years of being beaten down by everyday life, you fought to survive." Wilhelmina began paused to kiss my shoulder lovingly for a moment. "I was saw William fight three men as large as him with his bare hands and rather then surrender, he continued to fight despite wounds that would have killed a lesser man and won." Wilhelmina then began to chew on ym neck. "Then you went on to do the same at Ryuu's and then again when we were captured."

"You told me to think of all things that brought joy to me when I was alive and whether or not they were worth staying." I turned so we faced each other, "Then I would have thought of material things, but not anymore." I went to kiss her. "You are all the reason I need to stay."

Wilhelmina did not turn away like she had been for the past month. She parted her lips and our tongues settled into a familiar, but much more passionate, rhythm. We continued even as she rolled onto her back and pulled me with her so now I was on top of her. My mouth went to her neck as her hands and I heard the unmistakable sound of cloth ripping mixed with a snarl. I had her ear between my teeth when she turned her head and our mouths reunited.

I pulled away and stared at her. "Wilhelmina . . ."

She responded by seizing the back of my head and shoved my mouth into hers. She then moved to my neck as she began to writhe under me. I gave into temptation and reciprocated. I could feel her fangs pierce my neck and it was a switch had been flipped in my mind and I did the same. Like with me, I drew some blood and Wilhelmina dug her nails into my left hip and right shoulder and her body rubbed against mine with longing.

I pulled away and she allowed me reluctantly, her hands on my rear and trying to bring me closer, "Wilhelmina . . ."

"Please . . ." she gasped. "_N'arrêtez pas de_"

I gasped I felt a hand begin to stroke. I looked down to see her hand doing exactly and rubbing against her, encouraging me to enter. "After what happened . . ."

"_Il n'importe pas_." she whispered. "_J'ai besoin de cela. J'ai besoin que tu_."

I pushed into her. I gasped, and jerked, I began moving at a steady rhythm. I was aware that Wilhelmina had wrapped her legs around my waist and began bringer me closer and deeper. I also felt her clutching the nape of my neck and the small of my back as she moaned in ecstasy. I began to lose myself, my pace increasing, and mixed my own sounds with hers. As I began to move faster and faster, I could her and feel Wilhelmina approach her limit. I lifted my head and we began to kiss with such passion that any human would have suffocated.

I began to feel my own moment coming, like a tidal wave and an avalanche mixed together, and Wilhelmina seemed to be seconds away. And just as I thought I could hold on for more, Wilhelmina threw back her head in an orgasmic hiss and sank her fangs deep into my shoulder. The sensation was so sudden and exciting, the wave crashed with such force I saw a white light as I bite Wilhelmina's neck.

We laid there for a time, trembling as little aftershock rippled through us. Finally, I propped myself on an elbow and Wilhelmina wordless turned on her side with her back to me. I adjusted the sheet and covered both of us as Wilhelmina sighed slightly as curled up closer and wrapped an arm around her.

"Dominick?" She whispered sweetly.

"Hmm?" It was all I could manage as I floated on a cloud.

"Would you sing for me?" she asked. "One last time."

I racked my mind for a song, one that would be perfect, but I was finding it difficult to think after such an intense release. But I eventually decided on one and began to hum. To my surprise, Wilhelmina hummed along with me and continue as I added my voice.

_For once, in my life I have someone who needs me, Someone I've needed so long,_

_For once, unafraid I can go where life leads me, and somehow I know I'll be strong._

_For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of long before I knew_

_Someone warm like you, would make my dream come true._

_ For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me, Not like it's hurt me before,_

_For once I have something I know won't desert me, I'm not alone anymore._

_ For once I can say this is mine, you can't take it,_

_Long as I know I have love, I can make it,_

_For once I can feel that somebody's heard my plea,_

She clasped my hand in hers tightly as the sun rose, ending the night for vampires and bring the day for humans in our half of the world, as we drifted off to sleep.

That was how I spent my last night with the woman I loved.


	13. Full Circle

The longest night of my existence began like any other.

I began to stir, night had barely fallen for more than half an hour, feeling quite relaxed and content. It seemed I was still riding that relaxing floating high that came with sharing a bed with a goddess. I instinctively reached out to bringer her closer to me, sleep still fighting against me.

I grasped nothing but air.

I opened my eyes and found myself alone in bed. I sat up and my mind went into a state of hyper awareness. The bedsheets had been thrown back where Wilhelmina had slept next to me. Her robe was missing, but the torn remains of my sweatpants and undershirt remained. I looked to the door and saw it been left ajar and I was certain I had closed it the previous night. Logic told me Wilhelmina had simply awoke earlier than I had, one as old as her did not require as much sleep like me, and had taken her robe with her and she had not bothered to close the door.

Then why did I feel uneasy?

And why did this feel so familiar to me? Like a favorite song that I had not heard in some time.

Then I remembered.

I was sixteen and I finally had my own room since my brother was old enough to share with me. I came home one day from work and knew instantly. The door was not broken, the window had not been forced open, and I could not see any sign of vandalism, but I knew. Call it a sixth sense or I was subconsciously aware of a faint scent in the air. Maybe my bed was a fraction of a inch from where it normally sat. It didn't matter how I knew: I knew. I would later learn my mother had entered looking some old clothes that I had long outgrew, but someone had entered my room while I was away. And now it had happened again, this time on a much more personal scale.

Someone or something had crept into my room while Wilhelmina and I slept, completely defenseless.

I looked down at my bare chest and saw no stake protruding. Then I looked down at the sheets and saw no bloodstains. If I was staked and the assassin took the stake with him, my chest would heal as I slept. And if he somehow knew of my heart defect, then I wouldn't have woken at all. The lack of blood stains also told me that Wilhelmina had not been staked either. I peered at the floor around the bed and saw them as unstained as the sheets.

"Wilhelmina?" I called out. "Are you there?"

I know it was not the smartest of things to do, but I called to mask the creaking floor as I walked to the corner where my cane sat still in the hidden pocket of my greatcoat. There was still the chance that the intruder was still in the apartment. Had this been a simple robbery, some things would be missing, my vinyl record player and records for one thing. My entire comic book collection had been untouched and some of them were first editions from the 1960's that would collectors would pay hefty for just one.

"Adrian?" I called out as carefully extracted a pair of jeans. "Is that you?"

I quietly donned the jeans, keeping the door insight, as I waited for a moment. When I heard nothing, I walked to the right of the door and pressed my back to the wall and held my sword at the ready to sever the head of whomever stormed in. I threw the door open and swung the sword back for maximum damage, but no one entered. Rather then stick my head out, I held out the blade and used the length as mirror. I adjusted the blade several time, toying with different angles, and saw no one just on the other side of the door or in direct line of sight from the living room.

In the time it took to blink, I crossed the small hallway and threw the door that had been Doyle's room. It was empty besides a bare bed and mattress and nightstand. I turned my head slightly and saw nothing out of the corner of my eye. I did the same and entered Adrian's room which sat next to mine. It was as empty as Doyle's and Regina's when repeated the maneuver once more which left Wilhelmina's the only room unchecked.

I walked to the room and stood in front of Wilhelmina's door. If I was going to be ambushed and my attackers did not spring sooner while I checked the rooms, this was the only place left. I mentally ran through a list of who had a reason. I settled on either a surviving member of Sebastian's pack or the Alpha and Beta packs discovering whom had discovered their secret hideaways. Either way I was not dealing with humans that were aware of vampire existence, there had to be some out there, or fellow vampires.

I threw open the door and stood dumbfounded in the doorway.

Wilhelmina's king size canopy bed was bare. No silk drapes hanging around the edge and no silk sheets that left the mattress bare. The walls lacked William Wallace's sword and hammer, only the faint outlines of their frames remained. Wilhelmina's mirror, where she had brushed her hair only last night, still sat where it should, but I saw none of the little trinkets and pieces of jewelry or any make up. I rushed to it and opened the drawers and saw they too were empty. I went to the polished dresser and saw each and every drawer was empty as well. Not even a sock left behind. I finally checked the closet and found only wire hangers that were bare as the rest of the room. Dreading what I might find, I braced myself and pulled open the false bottom.

Even Wilhelmina's coffin was gone, but I saw something at the bottom of the hole.

I reached and brought a necklace up.

I had bought Wilhelmina the necklace from a street vendor almost two years ago. While it looked be genuine silver, it was not. It was a simple chain and actually reminded me of the chain I used to secure my bicycle when I was human, only much smaller and lighter. I had often seen Wilhelmina add a charm or two whenever the mood found her. It could be something as a medieval iron cross with sapphire in the center or a circular pendant from the Renaissance beautifully adorned with deep green emerald that matches her eyes. But what hung on the necklace did not belong to Wilhelmina.

It looked to be a handmade, hand carved I guessed, depiction of a wolf on an arrowhead. It was in profile of the beast howling, showing its teeth. On the end, attached by small rings, hung three little feathers and I had the feeling it was from some Native American tribe. Then I recalled what had said about the name of Sebastian's pack and how the Mahingan was the Algonquin word for wolf.

I transferred the necklace to the palm of my other hand.

"Ahh! Shit!" I hissed as I realized that while the necklace was not, the arrowhead was genuine silver. I quickly grasped it with my other hand by the chain. "Damn it."

I brought the necklace to my face and sniffed it, careful to not let the arrowhead touch my bare skin. I caught the scent of Wilhelmina, which I expected since she often wore it, but I also caught the unmistakable scent of werewolf and shifter. So I had been right.

I stood up slowly, stuffing the necklace into a pocket, and began weighing options. I did a quick search of the rest of the apartment and found nothing out of place other the faint scent of werewolf and shifter. Nothing had been left behind or dropped that pointed me in any direction. No business cards, custom nightclub matchbooks, or hand written orders. I was fairly certain that Wilhelmina had been abducted, not killed. I surmised that the werewolf packs had learned of my involvement and sought to use her as leverage, but then I realize they would have left a list of demands or had contacted me somehow. If they had been serious, I would have awoken chained in silver on a wall with a stake to Wilhelmina's chest if I did not comply.

I growled to myself as another thought came to me. It was possible that Matthew might have found the combined force of two packs too great to handle and offered me in exchange as a peace offering. The vampire that had a great hand in massacring the Mahingan pack and had discovered the secret hiding places that had remained secret since 1899 when the Bronx Zoo first opened its gates to the public. I would be surprised if someone had the notion to make a most wanted list with me as public enemy number one.

Betrayed or discovered, either way Matthew was about to have an unexpected visitor.

I shoved my sword back into its cane and rushed to the door, but I paused when I threw the door open and came face to face with an old woman. She quickly looked away and made an embarrassed gasp. It took me a moment, but I looked down and saw I was wearing a pair of ratty jeans. I snarled and rushed to my room, not caring if the old woman witnessed my vampiric speed. I quickly dressed, hardly glancing as I snatched random pieces of clothes that were tossed about or within quick reach, was out the door.

I did not bother with the elevator, choosing instead to run down the stairs as fast as my legs could carry me. I reached the ground floor in minutes and I did not bother to slow down. I did run past a couple with an infant in a stroller, but I am willing to bet they hardly saw more than a blur. I did finally stop when I reached the alley where my motorcycle sat under a tarp, giving one of the two humans quite a start. One was a woman, somewhere in her early thirties, and wearing an old sweat shirt and jeans. The other was a man, roughly the same age and wearing almost identical clothes, sitting on my motorcycle as he fiddled with wires.

"Jeez!" said the woman.

"Ah!" a spark jumped between the man's fingers and pulled them back. "Did you say something?"

"He just came outta nowhere." She pointed to me.

"Who?" the man looked to me. "Him?"

"Uh huh." the woman nodded.

"What are you doing?" I asked not to friendly.

"Lost my keys." said the man confidently.

"You're lying." I growled. "That bike is mine."

The man slid off the bike and walked to me, no doubt trying to sound and look as intimidating as possible. "Now who's lying? If that bike, a very nice bike by the way, was yours then ya woulda parked it in the street."

"I don't have time to deal with you." I said. "Leave!"

"That's the problem with this city." said the man as casually slipped a hand behind his back, not even trying to conceal it, and produced a small gun. "Everyone's in a hurry. Now if this fine motorcycle is yours, why don't show me the keys?"

If I had been thinking clearly, it would have occurred to me to simply glamor them, but I was not about to even consider wasting the time it would take for me to do so. Instead, in the blink of an eye, I drew my sword and slashed upward. It happened so quick and suddenly, it didn't even register that something was wrong until he heard wet slap at his feet.

"What the . . ." His gaze drifted down to his feet and stared dumbfounded at his severed hand, still clutching the firearm. He held up a stump, savory squirting blood that looked pitch black in the moonlight, and looked to me. "Did you . . ."

I hissed, revealing my fangs and sank them into his neck. I drank deeply for a few moments. Between his ulnar opened when I severed his hand and my feasting on his carotid artery, his body went limp in seconds as he went into shock and lost consciousness. I let his flaccid body drop at my feet and I looked up as I licked my chops.

The woman had not moved from where she had been standing, but she had the presence of mind to draw her own firearm. She was terrified to her very core and it was apparent how much her hands were shaking. Tears ran down her face and her lips were trembling and I had notion she could not decide on whether to cry or scream.

"Last chance." I bent down and tore a piece of the dead man's shirt. I wiped my mouth. "If you wanna go, go."

"I . . . uh . . . the fuck . . ." she said, trying to comprehend what she just saw.

"Forget it!" I snapped and rushed to my motorcycle.

Maybe it was not wise to use my vampiric speed, but in my defense I was not aware I had used it when I ran to my motorcycle. With the speed comes the reflexes so one did not collide with walls and such. At any rate, it was enough for the woman's finger to twitch and fire a round that pushed me sideways, splattering the wall behind me with my blood.

Anger filled me as I growled at her and attacked. I recall her gun going off a second time and a hot lance lightly touching my shoulder just over my clavicle, but in that moment I was only aware of my mouth filling with her blood and her heartbeat going frantic until it finally ceased altogether. I let her limp body drop at my feet and did not spare her a glance as I rushed to my motorcycle, pausing only to wipe my mouth and chin before slipping on the helmet. I paused once more to flick off the blood from my sword and slipped it into what I learned were shotgun holsters that the late Jacob Lautner had installed.

I kick-started the engine and, as fast as possible, I was speeding out of the alley with screeching tires and the roaring of the engine added with the cacophony of the city's many, many, drivers. It seemed the gunshot had not gone unnoticed and had been reported. As I threw myself and sped down Centre Street, many police cars heading towards Broadway barreled past me when I crossed over Canal and Hester Street, all with flashing their red and blue lights and sirens piercing enough to crack glass. Part of me was concerned that one car might think to pull over the clearly speeding motorcyclist trying to get the hell out of dodge, but none did. It was just as well since I was not about to waste time and would kill anyone who dared get in my way.

So urgent I thought my objective, I did not bother slowing down or stopping at intersections. I remember horns honked in my direction mixed with the sound of shattering glass and obscenities in different languages, but I charged on past Broome Street and throwing myself onto Kenmare Street. To avoid crashing, I was forced to enter oncoming traffic several times, but the advantage of such small vehicles is being able to weave between cars and trucks before entering the correct lane and causing those behind me to slam on their brakes and honking thier horns at my recklessness. I continue on Kenmare, crossing over Bowery and nearly causing another accident or two, until it became Delancy Street which I followed and was on the Williamsburg Bridge and over the East River.

I raced across the bridge, again obscenities and horns protesting my haste, and shot down the exit that led west on Broadway. I briefly recognized I was now in Brooklyn and opened the throttle farther with the Grasslands Gallery barely half a mile away. I continued on Broadway, turned on Kent Avenue, and was in front of the Grasslands Gallery in a mere three minutes. I parked in across the street and walked to the entrance, cane in hand.

As per a usual Friday night, there was a long line of humans wrapping around the corner toward South Second Street, and they were not pleased as I strode up to the same two large bouncers that flanked the entrance the first time I paid Matthew a visit.

"Line's starts back there." said one on my right, jerking his thumbs so there was little chance of a misunderstanding.

"Get Ian." I said impatiently. "I'm here on business."

"Hold on." The bouncer on the left stopped his partner as he reached for a radio. "He was here a couple months ago. Ian said he's cool."

"He also said we'd lose our jobs if we didn't run things by him." He pulled his arm away and spoke into a radio he took from inside his suit jacket. "Hey, Ian, we got a kid here. Says he's on business."

"What was that? I can barely understand you." Ian asked, his voice full of static. "Never mind. I'll be there in a few."

I wanted nothing more to push through, but some of my reason broke the surface of my urgency. There was a great chance I would require Matthew's help, as well as information, in rescuing Wilhelmina and I was not about to throw that away when all that was needed was a few minutes patience.

But it seemed one of the humans in line had exhausted all of his. "Hey, buddy, didn't you hear him? The line's back there."

His words went right over my head as I impatiently waited for Ian to appear behind the two bouncers.

"Hey!" the human continued, now becoming annoyed. "I'm talking to you!"

I stood stock still, but I flicked my eye to see who was making such a racket. He looked like any college student out for a night of fun. Groomed and styled brown hair meant to look ungroomed with a single earring in his left ear. He wore a tan dress shirt and dark blue jeans with loafers. His friends, or just the human standing with him, were dressed more or less the same with varying colors and accessories.

"Yeah, that's right, buddy." He sneered. "What makes you so special that you can't wait like the rest of us?"

I turned my attention back to the entrance.

"Oh snap." said one of the humans to his left. "Burned dude."

"And without a word." guffawed another.

"Hey!" he shouted again. "Hey! I asked you a question!"

I ignored him, severely tempted to simply walk in and insulting Matthew be damned.

That when I sensed a bit of movement and caught the human by the wrist. I did not hiss, I had enough sense to not hiss and reveal my fangs, but I must have stared unblinking volumes of terror and warning. I knew that the moment his eyes went wide and tried to back away. I was a blink away from twisting my hand sharply and snapping his wrist like a frail branch, but luckily for the human Ian chose that moment to appear.

"Hey, Dominick." He said warmly, doing his best to act human. "'Loooking gooood by the way. Very macho."

"Kid says he's on business." said one of the bouncers. "Figured we'd run it by you first."

"Yeah he's cool." Ian casually threw an arm around my shoulder and I released the human who wisely backed into line. "Come on, cool cat." Ian waited until we entered the club proper so the loud music would hide our conversation. "Why are you here? I thought Matthew was all but finished with the local packs."

"I need to see him." I said urgently. "Now!"

"Normally, one does not see the Sheriff unless he specifically summons him." Ian saw the look I was giving him. "But I don't think he'd mine since you've been very helping." He handed me a key. "I trust you remember how to reach Matthew?"

"Yes." I snatched the key from his hand. "Thank you!"

I took three steps before Ian's hand on my shoulder stopped me. "Wait!"

"What?" I demanded.

"You were using your speed." He told me. "We are surrounded by humans." He leaned to look at me. "What's going on?"

I shrugged off his hand and ran to the bar's storage room, taking special care not use my vampiric speed in full view of the human patrons. I entered and rushed to the lift, using the key Ian had provided, and was slowly rising to the upper level of Matthew's club.

The door opened and stepped out. Fortunately, Mae was in the room, but she was also feeding from a young woman who barely seemed old enough to enter the club. If there is one thing that you want to avoid doing, human or otherwise, is interrupt a vampire during a feed, but in my defense it was not intentional. The moment the door closed, I found myself pressed up against it with my feet off the floor and Mae growling at my intrusion. Fortunately, she recognized me and released me.

"Dominick?" She cocked her head.

"Yes." I bent down and picked my cane. "I need to see Matthew."

"Something has happened?" she said. "Are we under attack?"

"No! Yes! I don't know." I sighed. "I need to speak with him. Now!"

"Very well." She wiped her mouth. "I shall inquire after him."

Mae was blur for a second and she disappeared another second later. I walked to window, ignoring the dead girl laying on the desk. I was not hungry after the two humans in the alley and Mae would not be pleased if such a liberty.

I looked down at humans, dancing and reveling in the night, and couldn't help but be envious for moment. I suppose if I ever had gathered the courage to leave my home, I could be down with the rest of them. Just another blissfully ignorant child enjoying my youth before I settled into a dull routine of car payments and mortgages.

It was then that I noticed what I was wearing in my reflection. My hair was a bit ungroomed and my skin had not changed, but I found shocking how much I had changed in such a short time. It was not something strange or exotic I had bought with my new found wealth, but clothes that I had owned for years and yet never combined them in such a manner. I wore a long sleeved V-necked T-shirt that was a deep shade of burgundy. Over that was a medium-length faux leather coat with big lapels that had seen better times. I recalled I had purchased at thrift store and the counterperson had said it belonged to a marine who donated it as part of his will when he perished overseas. My pants were as hard-wearing and dark black as the jacket. These were kind of pants you'd see on a uniformed policeman. I half expected myself to be wearing combat boots, but they were just a pair of old loafers that had belonged to my father.

"Dominick?" said a voice.

I turned to see Abraham. He was wearing roughly the same clothes I had first met him in, button down shirt tucked into a pair pristine denim jean and pointed brown boots. He seemed to be holding an envelope.

"It is you." he walked to me and handed my the envelope. "This for you."

I took the envelope, but did not open it. "What's this?"

"I don't know." he said. "It was dropped off this morning while the humans cleaned with specific instructions to be given to you when you arrived." He motioned to it. "I have been holding on to it until Mae came into Matthew's office, but I have not opened it as you can see."

I looked down and saw he was right. My name was written in flowing script on the front and it had been sealed with wax, like old messages from the middle ages. But that was impossible. I did not even know I would be at Matthew's club less than half an hour ago. Clearly someone, most likely whomever had kidnapped Wilhelmina, knew that sooner or later I'd visit Matthew.

I open the letter and the message was written in the same flowing script.

_My dearest Dominick,_

_You have changed impressively in such a short time. You are no longer the scared little child that I first mistook you for when we first met. I am sure you must feel quite confused, not An all too familiar feeling considering your gift, so please keep reading and hopefully It lay your questions to rest._

_From the smallest sparrow to the mightiest Dragon, there comes a time for the offspring to leave the Nest and find it's own way in the world. I speak, or write rather, figuratively since you may do with what you will with the apartment. Fill it with whatever pleases you aNd live alone, Share it with others of our kind and create a new Nest, Or you can merely leave as iT is and Explore the world beyond what you have seen. You once said you found the teaching of the samurai quite interesting. I have never been, but I hear that the Aokigahara forest of Japan is sight to be seen at night._

_I know this may seem sudden and without Preamble, but you knew full well that our relationship would eventually come to an eNd. If you did not, then I was correct to use this manner rather than explain face to face as you no doubt would refuse to accept This and make A scene._

_If there is one Thing that all of our kind must learn is that nothing can last forever. _

_Sincerely and with love,_

_Wilhelmina Wallace._

If my own mother was to suddenly appear in front of me and sink a stake into my heart, it would easily be the second largest shock I had ever recieved, both as a vampire and human.

It had occurred to me on a few occasions, so few that I could count them on a single hand in the near two years that we have been together, that I might wish to leave Wilhelmina's side and go on my own path. But I had always assumed that would not happen for sometime, perhaps even a century. I had based that assumption on all that she had told me about the rest of the nest. Adrian had been turned in 1726 and had parted with his maker just under eighty years in 1802 while Wilhelmina spent five decades with Wymark when they parted in 1355 or so. Even Doyle and Regina, who had spent the least amount of time with thier sires, each had about a decade.

It just did not make sense. Why would, after drilling into my head the responsibilities of being a sire and how it should not be done carelessly, she decided that our time together had come to an end? She practically rose each night claiming that abandoning a newly made vampire was exactly tossing a newborn in the streets. I had often, more accurately, thought it was more like tossing a hungry leopard into a pen of wild boars. The leopard may kill a good number, but it would eventually be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. The point was, even with my gift, it was near impossible to even conceive that I had learned all the necessary information in just under two years.

It had to be a trick I thought to myself. They must have forced her to write this so I would drop my guard and assume nothing was amiss, but another thought to came to me. They could not have forced her to write this because Abraham had said this letter had been delivered this morning and if they had somehow managed to wake, and keep her that way, then it would have been sloppy and illegible instead of pristine calligraphy I held. Unless they had some leverage over her, it would certainly explain her dour mood and the nights she spent away from the nest, and had compelled her to write this ahead of time.

With that last thought burning in my bright mind, I began to read and reread her letter. She would try to warn me, give me some subtle clue buried between the lines. Wilhelmina would no doubt make it obscure and hidden in plain sight, trusting my gift would make it apparent where another would not give it a second chance.

"Dominick?" asked Abraham. "Is all right? Is there something Matthew should know?"

"Huh?" I looked up. I was focused I had forgotten where I stood and with whom. "What about Matthew?"

"Is there anything in that letter that should concern Matthew?"

"Maybe . . ." I sank into a chair and began rereading the letter. "If you have to report back to him, tell him to be wary. I'm know Ian said different, but tell him that it might be best to find a new day resting place for him and his nest."

"Are you sure?" he asked cautiously. "That sounds like a very serious threat. Has something happened?"

"Yes, but I'm not entirely sure he's in danger." I set Wilhelmina's letter in front of me on the desk and loomed over it. "Still, prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Now get out."

"Excuse me?"

I looked up and growl "Did I stutter?" I returned to staring at the paper in front of me "Get. Out. I need to think."

Abraham seemed to take offense. "I think you have forgotten that I am your elder."

I looked up, annoyed.

"You are not aware of it, but Mae has told me your true age." He smirked superiorly.

"And you unaware that was one of the first things that occurred to me." I said unintimidated. "So while you may be faster and stronger, are you more intelligent? Are you capable of visualizing each and every variable, the possibility of weapons or strategies, and forming a flawless counter to all of them? Is it possible that you have overlooked a crucial detail that could result in your ultimate demise?"

He stared daggers, no doubt weighing options.

"Judging by your hesitation, you haven't. Well, I have."

His gazed narrowed, "You're bluffing."

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not, but are you willing to take that risk? And if I am, what kind? Is it a bluff? Double bluff, Or maybe a triple bluff? Think on that and make your move." I returned my attention to the message. "If not, then get out and report to your master."

I was answered with the sound of feet running at blinding speed and the unmistakable sound of a door being slammed shut. With that settled, I stared at the line that was nagging, teasing me for attention like girl at a bar. I was certain she was trying to tell me something. Wilhelmina wasn't one for flowery words and sugar coating, she was direct and to the point. Knowing that, one line stood out to me. It was very un-Wilhelmina."

"_From the smallest sparrow to the mightiest dragon,"_ I read aloud. "_There comes a time for the offspring to leave the nest and find it's own way in the world._" Then something caught my eye. "Hmm . . ."

I noticed in her letter the words 'Dragon' and Nest both began with capital letters, but neither were the beginnings of sentences. Wilhelmina had mastered quite a number of languages in her time and even though modern slang escaped her, her grammar was exceptional when written. I mentally run though a list of grammatical reasons for the use of capital letters. Neither word was the start of a sentence so that was out, but names were a possibility. I ran though another mental list of vampires I knew, but none were named Dragon or Nest. I thought perhaps she had used an anagram, but she hadn't. I retrieved a pen and paper from the desk to make sure. I even attempted to find an anagram using both words, but none came. At least none that I recognized.

I was about to give up on the train of thought when another line came to me, the one about visiting the Aokigahara forest of Japan. Was it possible she was hinting for me translate the entire message into Kanji because each character had multiple meanings? No, her captures would not have given her much time to write for fear of her leaving me a clue. Perhaps if I merely translated the two words. I racked my mind, countless hours spent trying to translate some of characters that had been left over when the original book had been translated in my copies of Death Note, for the correct translations.

It took several tries, but I was fairly sure I had found the correct word for nest. When translated, provided I had remembered correctly, the word for nest was Su. And it meant absolutely nothing to me, barely a word. To be thorough, I translated Dragon. Which gave me exactly what I need.

"Let's see . . ." I tapped my temple as muttered. "You were one first things I learned . . . dragon . . . dragon . . . it had something to do with an arcade game . . . Street Fighter 2!" I stood up. "That's it."

I quickly snatched the letter and stuffed into my jacket pocket. Taking care not use my vampiric speed, I took the elevator down and ran to my motorcycle as fast as my legs could carry me. Luckily neither Ian or the bouncers stopped me and I reached the bike in minutes, berating myself for being so dense.

When I was child and went to an arcade for the first time, I played a game called Street Fighter 2. On the side of the machine were two men, iconic characters really. One of them was called Ken, a fairly American name, but the other had one I never head before. I eventually learned it was a Japanese name and in their culture names usually meant something. His name meant dragon and the name was Ryu, sometimes spelled with an extra 'U'. Wilhelmina was telling me to seek out Ryuu's nest. As to why, I had not idea. Perhaps Matthew's was involved or compromised, either way I had a destination.

I slipped on the helmet that I hung on the handle bars and slipped my cane into the shotgun holster. I kick-started the engine hard and shot out between two cars that had parked behind and in front, forcing a passing taxi to slam on its brakes and honk the horn in protest. It was fortunate that Wilhelmina mentioned Ryuu's nest. If she had merely mentioned Ryuu, I would have been forced to choose between his club in Freeport, Yojimbo's, or his nest in Mill Neck. Both were on opposite sides of each other and the island. I would not have time to visit both in the same night if I chose wrong. It was the first time I cursed becoming a vampire in almost a year. Then again, if I had not become one I would not be in this situation in the first place.

I stowed away those thoughts and forced myself to focus on the task at hand. I continue north on Kent Avenue, made a slight left and it became Franklin Street. I hardly stayed for then a minute, at my speed I hardly stayed on any street for much longer, and made a right onto Greenpoint Avenue which I followed over John Jay Bryne Bridge and merged onto the Long Island Expressway heading to the island's eastern side. Luckily most of the traffic on a Friday night was heavily congested going into the city, not leaving like I was. I'm sure I would've remarked how light traffic was, but not this night. Anything short of being the only one on the highway was too heavy for me, each second loss by squeezing the brake irritating me beyond reason each and every time.

To say I was paranoid would not be unreasonable, but it was when I came to a dead stop when the expressway reached the end of Queens that it became less suppressible. I had made decent time, decent on any normal night for the city, passing through the rest of Brooklyn and most of Queens, but a few minutes after passing the exit for the Cleanview expressway I reached an impassible wall of cars.

I craned my neck to see what was the cause of such an inconvenience, but between distance the many freight trucks I could not see any indication even with my acute sight. I could make out the red and blue flashes of several police cars and maybe some ambulances as well, but that was the extent of it. I gazed around and saw many of the drivers had turned their cars off. Some were shouting into cell phones while other shouted at each other. I drove forward slowly , the motorcycle's lack of bulk allowing me to, between cars before I reached an impasse.

I removed my helmet and tapped on the glass of a random car. The man, who was reading a newspaper, jumped in surprise and looked confused. I motioned for him to lower the window and he did so. I saw he was with his family, a woman who I guessed to be his wife and two small sleeping children in backseat, were in the car with him and they eyed cautiously. They must have sensed something unworldly about me.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Radio says an oil tanker crashed into coach bus." he said sounding both worried and awed. "Both were full."

"How long ago?"

"About three hours." He motioned to his family. "At least that's how long we've been stuck here."

I cursed. This would not be resolved for days at best and I only had the rest of the night. Once again, I cursed the fact that I had precious little time to not only find Wilhelmina but rescue her as well, making sure to leave sufficient time to find shelter for the both of us. Had we been human, neither of us would be in danger for falling asleep in an inappropriate time and place. Then again if we had been human, we would have never met.

I cleared my head and thought for a moment. "Do you have a map?"

"What for?" he asked then he realized it was a stupid question. "Never mind." He spoke to his wife. "Sheryl, can you check the glove box? I think I had one in there." A moment later, he handed my a folded piece of paper. "Here ya go."

I forced a smile, by way of a thank you, and unfolded it. It took me less than minute to find where I currently was and another two to plot an alternate path. While I am sure they were long dead, I thanked whomever designed the highway system of Long Island. While not an official highway, Northern Boulevard could take me almost exactly the way I had originally planned, but it had the advantage of shortening the distance significantly.

I handed the map back push the bike to stone divider. It never occurred to me to see how much stronger I had become since I had been human. I knew I had gained immense amounts of strength, but it could not be improved upon or modified. I could not exercise like humans could to increase my power and I also lacked adrenaline that allowed humans to perform superhuman feats, like mothers lifting car off of their children, but I could not continue on the road and nor could I go back.

I ignore the onlooker that I was no doubt attracting, and would attract, and lifted the front wheel, resting it on the divider. I walked to the rear, the heaviest part that held the engine, of the bike and squatted, gripping the sides tightly. I certainly expected resistance, but not as much as I encountered. It took almost everything I had to merely lift the rear and hold it on my thighs. I never did exactly learn why muscles burned when pushed to their limits, but I was familiar with the feeling, and it seemed vampires had their own version of the sensation. At best, I could describe it akin to being battery drained of its power. It felt very uncomfortable, but not exactly painful.

"Jesus Christ!" I heard a voice shout. "Are you insane?!"

I ignored the question and use what little strength I had left to throw the contraption upward. It did not sail over the stone divider several feet in the air. It scraped it, making sounds like a hundred nails run across a chalkboard with sparks, and fell on the other side with loud crash. No doubt there would some cosmetic damage, but that was least of my concern so long it ran.

I took step forward, but fell on to a knee. It seemed I needed a moment to recover from such a sudden and drastic use of my strength. I was aware of a man, the same one that had provided me with a map, was kneeling by me.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I looked up and stared, his carotid artery throbbing with each heartbeat and just begging to be opened. I was suddenly hungry and surmised that it was my body's way of telling me it needed more than just time to recover. I licked my lips and fought to urge clamp down on his neck.

The human noticed my staring. "What?"

"Nothing." I stood quickly. I did not have time to feed and there was the dozens of onlookers. "I'm fine."

"You just lifted a six-hundred pound bike over a four foot wall." he told me.

"So that's how much it weighs." I climbed over the divider slower than I wanted to. I lifted the bike, no easy feat after the first time, and mounted it.

I paused a moment to slip on the helmet and was gone before the humans had the idea to inform the police of my abnormal feat. I kick started the engine and drove to the nearest exit, Springfield Boulevard in Bayside. I took Springfield through was obviously a higher income residential area. It was one cookie cutter home after another, each with mock roman columns and decorative wrought iron railings with white picket fences separating them. Clearly I was no longer in the city, but I was still fairly close I realized once I passed over the Cross Island Parkway. From what I remembered from the map, I was roughly in Douglaston which meant the road would soon begin to inch farther and farther north to higher and higher income towns. I would pass through the smaller villages and hamlet communities, like Manhasset and Greenvale, as I sped down Northern Boulevard until it crossed with Route 106 several miles south of Oyster Bay.

Once I reached Route 106, I worked from memory. While it had been nearly a year since I was last on this road, I was absolutely certain how to reach Ryuu's nest. It would feel longer than it actually was, but I only had to follow a straight line for the most part. Unfortunately a major part of that line was heavily patrolled by the private police force of Muttontown and Brookville. It did not even register in my mind until I heard the indisputable sound of a police siren and the near unlit road was bathed in swirling red and blue. I looked behind to see, once the temporary blindness subsided from the flashing lights, a white police cruiser with the Muttontown police insignia and name on the side. I had forgotten these policemen will look for any excuse to give out a ticket, especially to non-residents of the little privileged village.

I snarled and opened the throttle, what little there was left of it to open, intending to outrun the cruiser. I felt and heard the engine push the bike further and faster, but it quickly puttered out and quieted. I wasn't certain if it was the result of lifting the motorcycle over the stone divider or the combined neglect of myself and the previous owner, but it seemed the motorcycle had reached its limit and shut down completely. I managed to steer the dying bike to the side of the road, more or less cementing the notion this was just not my night.

I was somewhat aware the cruiser had pulled up some distance behind me, but I was cursing the dead human couple in the alley. The man had been fiddling with wires on the small dashboard, trying to hotwire it, when I arrived. I was too preoccupied to notice that maybe the bike was not operating as it had been and it reached its limit when I suddenly put a massive strain on an already hampered engine, and I'm sure the sudden drop on the hard floor on the Long Island Expressway did not aid in anyway.

"Bike trouble?" asked a gruff smug voice.

I whipped head up to see him, the helmet hiding my fangs and hiss quite well. The man standing before me had light brown skin, dull green eyes and short, straight black hair that had been combed neatly. He had a sharp pointed nose and a square chiseled jaw. He was about six feet tall and has a medium build. His clothes were what I had seen countless other officers of law wear, dark navy blue shirt and pants with belt full of equipment. I caught the faint smell of cigarette smoke that I was all too familiar with, his aftershave doing nothing to mask it.

"Could you please take off your helmet?" He tapped the hard plastic visor of the helmet.

I narrowed my eyes at him, but removed it. And he would regret it soon enough. I briefly considered simply killing him and going on my way, but then I would waste time staging the area to make it look more natural and I did not have time for that. Had I heeded Wilhelmina's advice, the one concerning emotions and mastering them, it would have been obvious to glamor the officer. Unfortunately, I was barely in control of my hunger at the moment, let alone my emotions.

"That's better." He said smugly. "Now license and registration."

"I don't have it." I said plainly.

"Excuse me?"

"I. Don't. Have. It." I said slowly, hopefully enough for him to comprehend.

"Alright." He made a note on a small pad. "Were you aware of how fast you were going?"

"Of course, it's right in front of me." I pointed to the dashboard. "What I wasn't aware of where you were hiding."

"Hiding?" he asked cautiously before h shrugged and made another note. "And you are aware of the state speed limit is fifty-five?"

"And you aware of the reason for that speed limit?" I countered.

"Excuse me?" He clearly was not accustomed to attitude. "It's for safety so reckless punks don't drive like they own the road."

Actually it was due to the 1973 oil crisis where congress 1974 enacted the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act that prohibited speed limits higher than 55 miles per hour. It was drafted in response to oil price spikes and supply disruptions during the 1973 oil crisis.

"Alright, look around." I ordered. "Other than myself, who is on the road at this hour at night."

"That's moot." He motioned for me to dismount. "I'm placing you under arrest."

"Funny." I actually chuckled. "What for?"

"No license or registration, excessive speeding, and attempting to flee from an officer." He produced a pair of handcuffs and stepped closer, just within range. "Now get off the bike or I'll add resisting arrest to the list."

Quick as lightning, I lunged and sank my fangs into his neck as I tackled him to the floor. It must have been so sudden for him that I did not feel him begin to struggle at first. He did eventually gathered himself, but by that time it was too late and he passed.

I stood, feeling somewhat rejuvenated, and surveyed my surroundings. There were no indications that someone had witnessed my crime, but I did wish to stay if that assumption proved false. Normally, I would carefully and meticulously arrange the body and scene so a more believable scenario would be evident, but I did not have time or resources.

First I made sure that my motorcycle would start, I really did not want to draw attention to a speeding police cruiser this late at night. I kick started the engine and revved it a couple of times to make sure I had way of leaving. I picked up the officer's body, Jefferson read his name tag, and placed in the back seat. I quickly removed his socks and tied them together to form short rope which I stuffed into the gas take with small length sticking out.

Going by the cigarette smoke I caught earlier, I searched his pockets and found a disposable lighter and an empty carton. I looked around once more, saw that two rabbits watching me from under a nearby tree were not about ambush me, and lit the sock rope. I quickly rushed my motorcycle and rode on, not wanting to be anywhere in the nearby area.

I was beginning to think that maybe the fire had gone out before it could reach the gasoline in the tank when I heard, and felt, the earth shaking _KA-BOOM_. I spared a glance in the mirror to see the intense light by inferno that engulfed the cruiser, and officer Jefferson along with it. The fire would consume any trace I was there and the heat would evaporate any liquid left in the body so it would difficult to prove that the good officer died due to major blood loss, but it would be far natural to suspect a defect in the car caused a spark in the gas tank and anyone could tell lighting gasoline in an enclosed space was highly lethal.

I carefully followed the speed limit for the little stretch of road before I reached an intersection with an empty gas station on my left and a statue of Theodore Roosevelt on a stallion to my left. I was just about to make a left turn when I heard the unmistakable sirens of several police cruisers couple with two ambulances. I looked ahead to see them barreling down the road just on the other side of the traffic light. I pulled onto the sidewalk to let them pass, no doubt on their way to see if their comrade could be saved, and turned left onto Lexington Avenue just as they passed.

Once I made another left turn and a quick right, I was riding alongside the ocean as it crashed against the rocks to my left. Perhaps on another night, a far more auspicious night, I would marvel how the pale white crescent that was the moon made the ocean sparkling and shine with its radiant light. Or I might reflect how the delicate scent of salt in the air stirred memories of my youth when my grandfather took me fishing, but it all might as well not had existed for the attention I paid.

I finally reached Ryuu's home, a very large white manor that sat upon the crest of hill that overlooked a small duck pond and had an excellent view of the ocean. I drove up the winding driveway, my motorcycle beginning to sputter and cough. I managed to reach the car garage, just on the side of the house with a sliding door to enter and leave. There was a small patio with a clearly unused gas burning barbeque grill and various pool toys stacked against it. While I had never seen the back of his home, going by the pool toys and the strong scent of chlorine in the air, it would be fair to assume it sported a large swimming pool.

I looked down to see if I could fix what damage the dead thief had caused by his fiddling when I mentally slapped myself. It was not the thief's meddling or the sudden crash onto the floor that caused the motorcycle to fail, it was the lack of fuel. In my haste I never bothered to check and see how much gas was in the tank. So naturally, the engine would strain and die without it.

I heard the sound of a sliding door and a familiar female voice. "Dominick? Is that you?"

I turned to see Tasha, wearing an old sweatshirt and sneakers.

"Yes." I dismounted and rushed inside in the time it took her to blink. "Is Ryuu or Kim here?"

"No." She closed the door and seemed scared. "Just us."

"Us?" I looked and saw Hillary and the rest of the humans. They seemed to have just finished cleaning after dinner. "Oh. Where are they?"

"They went hunting." said Hillary. "We don't know when they'll be back."

"They don't tell exactly give us an itinerary." said Tasha. "Is something wrong?"

I closed my eyes and thought for a moment. Wilhelmina's message had hinted for me to come here, that much was obvious, but she hadn't exactly explained for what purpose. Was I suppose to wait for Ryuu and his nest to call in a debt and mount an attack? Did he possess some means of locating her? Or had she simply been warning me to leave the apartment and place myself under Ryuu's protection because she knew she would be killed and sought to save me?

Then another possibility came to me.

"Tasha!" I said suddenly.

I noticed all of the humans jumped at my outburst. I must have gone erect like our kinds tends to do.

"Yes?" she said, recovering.

"Has anyone delivered a letter?" I asked.

"Just bills for the house and the newspaper." said Hillary. "We check it every morning while Ryuu and the rest sleep."

"Check it again." I ordered. "It would have arrived much later. Maybe just before nightfall."

"Should we be worried?"

"NOW!" I shouted.

Hillary yelped and sprinted towards the front door.

"Tasha, are there any gas cans in garage?"

"W-what?"

"Gas cans!" I hissed. "Garage! Any?"

"I-I-I think s-so." She trembled. "W-w-we keep some for the l-lawnmowers and stuff."

"Then go get them and pour what you can into my motorcycle."

I looked as she quickly left through the sliding door. The two remaining humans, Nicholas and James I remembered, who cast their gazes to the floor. I ignored them and caught sight of myself in a window. Normally the mere presence of vampire is enough to unnerve a human, but one who's lower chin is smeared with fresh blood certainly adds to the fear. It seemed I had forgotten to clean Officer Jefferson's blood from my face.

I splashed water on my face and wiped of the remains with a dishrag just as Hillary returned with a letter. Like the one at Matthew's club, there was no postage or any indication that it had even been processed by the post office. The only marks on it were my name, written in same flow script as before, and red candle wax seal.

Hillary wordlessly handed it over and I broke the seal.

_My dearest Dominick,_

_If you are reading this then you have no doubt Have formed the notion that I was somehow abducted from the nest during the day. I grant you That would be a fair assumption, considering Our tangles in the past, but it is an assumption that is false in this case. Or perhaps you thought Ryuu would provide you with some clue to where I might be. None, but myself, will know where I might be. I have made sure of that._

_I could be, at the moment you are reading this, on my way to Westbury, England. I believe I once told how I met the most intresting young woman there. You remember, it was the girl whose hunting in the local cemetery lead to many to seE if they could catch a glimpse of her._

_As I told yOu in the last missive, I am ending our relationship. It is time you made your owN way in the world and that would be impossible at my side. Go and have you always wished for, the freedom to Live the life you wanted. While I know you wished to marry at some point, but as you know that is a practice our kind does not participate in. I suppose you will merely have settle for children, if you feel the need_

_We may cross paths, with our condition it is only a matter of time, but do not count of that occurring anytime soon._

_With love,_

_Wilhelmina Wallace._

I folded the letter into my pocket and ran out. I could have not timed it sooner as three large empty gas cans were on the floor by my motorcycle and Tasha was screwing the gas cap back into place. It was not a moment too soon. Wilhelmina's letter had all been but instructions where to go next, but to what game she was playing I had no idea. I simply knew where I had to be, and that I only had three hours before sunrise.

"You got a full tank now." Tasha said. "I know its probably vampire business, but is — "

"It is." I said as I slipped on the helmet and mounted the bike.

I sensed Tasha take a step back when I kick started the engine and opened the throttle wide, leaving a dark skid mark on the driveway and piercing screech in the air. I barreled down to the main road and took the exact same path I took to reach Ryuu's, only in the opposite direction. As I slowed down on Route 106, which took much more restraint that I was willing to admit, I passed the sign of my handiwork with Officer Jefferson which had blocked the entire road heading north, but not the south that I was currently on.

The rest of the way I drove on autopilot, only keeping an eye out for cars and such, and wondered why Wilhelmina was sending me so close my old home. She had mentioned Westbury, England, but I knew she was referring to my old human home. As for story of a young vampire in the local cemetery, it was a complete and utter fabrication. She had never told of spending time in England, but the reference to the cemetary was impossible to miss. For some reason, Wilhelmina wished for to visit Holy Rood Cemetery which was barely a mile from my old house.

I merely followed Route 106 for a while until I entered Hicksville and took the Northern State highway which ran parallel with the Long Island Expressway in certain section of the island. It was practically empty, with the exception of cargo trucks that ran at all hours of the night all over the country, and I made decent time before I took the exit for Post Avenue in Old Westbury and Westbury. I followed Post Avenue, past a few close Latin clubs and market, which took me past the very train station that I had left Wilhelmina when we first met, something that felt so long ago.

The main entrance to cemetery was on the section that faced Old Country Road, less than a few blocks south where I was. I parked the motorcycle in the train station parking lot and rushed to the large wrought iron fence that surrounded the entire perimeter of the cemetery, slipping my cane into my belt loops like a sword.

It was nothing to climb the fence, but I had no idea what I would be looking for. I saw St. Brigid Church, my family had often visited the church for funeral and baptisms, unchanged to my southeast. I could see both the mausoleum and chapel of the cemetery on the southern end by the main entrance. But I saw, as I had come to expect, mostly headstones. It was forest of headstones, small family crypts, trees, and store bought flowers.

I checked my watched and saw I had just bit over two hours to get what I came for, which I had no idea what it was. But as luck would have it, or something else, a little light appeared in the distance. I squinted and saw a little light sitting upon a headstone. A candle had been lit, and candles did not light themselves.

"Wilhelmina!" I whispered and ran as fast as I could towards the light, like a moth to a flame.

But that was all it was, a flame.

I reached the headstone and looked around. I was in an obscure section of the cemetery. There were large dirt piles, recent additions, on west side and a cluster of bushes hiding me from any onlookers from the street.

"Wilhelmina!" I called out. "Are you there?"

No answer.

"Please, if you're there." I pleaded. "Tell me what's going on."

Again, no answer.

I looked down at the candle and saw an envelope, an all too familiar envelope, had been tucked under it. I picked it up and saw it was. The same script and the same candle wax seal. I went to open it, but a voice spoke out to me as my fingers gripped the tab.

"What?" it said. "No flowers?"

I hissed and drew my sword, whipping around to face my attacker, but he seemed calm.

He looked to be about my age as well as my height and build, but he had a squarish face where I did not. He had tan skin, dark blue eyes and long, frizzy brown hair which is a little appeared a bit unhealthy. His clothes were formal, a black suit and tie with polished shoes. But what fascinated me was he seemed to be not all present. My eyes could see without any effort, but I swear I could what was directly behind as he was transparent. I could not catch scent or hear his breathing.

"Who are you?" I asked, not lowering my sword.

"So you can actually see me. That's new." He regarded me for a moment. "Let's see. Pale skin, fangs, and a faint glow. You're a vampire." He paused as if he recalled something. "Ohhhh, so that's what she meant."

"Who. Are. You?" I asked again.

"I'm Dominick Valentino." He smiled and held out a hand. "Pleasure to meet you."


	14. Dirt Nap

"Who are you?" I asked, my eyes narrowing and my arm still holding my sword to his throat.

"Oh, come on." He rolled his eyes. "I know you guys can hear a pin drop in a thunderstorm."

"I heard you." I said. "But I don't believe you."

"Why not?"

"Because I am Dominick Valentino."

"Then shouldn't you be there?" He pointed to my feet. "Instead of up here?"

I looked down and then turned to see the headstone. The small candle that gotten my attention was still sitting on top of it, the flame dancing the slight winter wind and slowly eating away the wax. There were some flowers as well, a typical assortment one could find in any random flower shop, that had died , but had not been cleaned by the caretaker. Next to those, someone had quite recently visited the grave and placed an expensive bouquet of red roses. I noticed the roses had a strange scent around them, a faint trace of perfume mixed with Were. I briefly considered the possibility that I had known a Were and was simply not aware of it, but I pushed it aside to think on it in my leisure.

Like many of the headstones in the area, it had the words like 'Adored by friends, Loving brother, Doting son'. But the name carved under all that praise was my own, Dominick Valentino. I looked at the date saw it was accurate, at least as far as anyone that had known me as a human was concerned. My birthday, the sixth of January, sat under my first name while the date of my death, June twenty-first, was under my surname with twenty-one years between the two.

So Wilhelmina had led me to my own grave, or rather the grave that would have been mine if she had not turned me and my body had been found. I had often wondered how exactly wondered how Wilhelmina had arranged so it appeared I had died more traditionally. I always assume she had glamored a police officer to say there had been one more body then there was or had a coroner misplace a body. Wilhelmina could have easily had me write a letter saying that I had grown tired of a smothering father, it wouldn't have been that much of a stretch, and had chosen to strike out on my own. If I had done that, and with the apparent lack of a body, the police would have to assume it was true since I was legal adult and free do so. And without me, my family wouldn't be able to collect the money to hire a private investigator to bring me home.

I looked to the specter, who was patiently waiting my response, and begun to see exactly how she had faked my death. Wilhelmina had found someone who was roughly my physical doppelganger. Whomever this was, I was almost certain this was a ghost, had been close enough to pass as me, at least physically. He did not look like me but there were plenty of methods to disfigure a body so even if a seasoned investigator had a photography, like a car fire. They would be forced to use other less surefire methods to identify it. And to be safe, Wilhelmina would have taken my wallet with my driver's license and planted it to erase any doubts. It probably had taken her less than ten minutes to think of way and five to carry it out, even killing an innocent bystander which she had been doing for centuries.

"I didn't exactly die under normal means." I said.

"That makes two of us." He folded his arms and frowned. "Who was Wilhelmina? It sounds like a girl's name."

"It is." I nodded. "Have you seen her?"

"Was she the one with red hair?" he asked. "Or was she the really tall one?"

"Red hair."

"Yeah, I've seen her."

"Really?" I asked. "When?"

"Two years ago." He said.

"What?"

"Well, just about." He relented. "Give or take a month."

"Then who lit that?" I motioned to the candle. "You?"

"No." He admitted. "It just popped up there. Already lit and everything."

"So who are you?" I asked. "A ghost?"

"What gave it away?" He huffed. "Was it the fact you can see through me?"

"I — " I began to say, but stopped when I heard beeping.

I looked down and saw my watch, a cheap digital one I bought from a street vendor. I had gotten into the habit of setting the alarm each night right before I went to sleep for the day. I always made sure to set it one hour before sunrise. All vampires can sense the approaching dawn, but I reasoned any more time to find shelter would be welcomed if circumstances, like the present one, forced me far from the nest.

"You were saying?" He leaned to the side and smiled. "Oh, I see. Little Dominick has a curfew."

"Damn it!" I began to look around frantically. "Shit!"

"What's the matter?" He asked mockingly. "Mommy will ground you if you're late?"

"Ground?" An idea formed in my head. "That's it!"

I blew out the candle and began walking between headstones, looking for a fresh grave. I knew it would not be comfortable, but it would be safe. No one visiting the cemetery during the day would give a fresh grave a second thought since the earth would already be disturbed. Once I rose, I could hide evidence that I had been there.

Fortunately, I did not have go all the way to the other side of cemetery.

I found a large mound of dirt hardly twenty feet away. I saw many fresh bouquets of flowers were laid on and around the headstone of Duane S. Langley who, going by the dates carved on the headstone, had lived to the ripe old age of ninety-seven. He had been a caring father and grandfather and had been loved by all when he was alive. There was also a photograph of the man. He appeared to be smiling to the camera, holding up a large fish in one hand and pole in the other, as sat on a boat in the middle of a lake on beautiful sunny day without a care in the world.

On a whim, I looked to the adjacent headstone and saw Dorothy M. Langley had died almost three years previously. There were significantly less flowers on her grave and there was no photograph, but I think it was safe to assume she had been the late Duane's wife.

I zipped my leather jacket, making sure all three of Wilhelmina's letter were safely in the interior pockets, and dove into the earth. I might not have need to breath, but that did not help the smell of moist dirt filling my nostrils. I fought the urge to rub my eyes for a moment before I had the presence of mind to shut them. While I never learned to swim, it was the best way I could put it into words as pushed farther and farther down. It was impossible for anyone to not notice that the dirt had been disturbed, but it was also impossible for me to arrange it and still be under. I would have to assume that it was the work of the wind and perhaps a stray animal or two and not a vampire seeking a safe haven for the day.

I suddenly reached something solid and polished. I tapped it with a knuckle and realized I had reached the coffin where the remains of Duane S. Langley sat. I relaxed and turned onto my back. As I settled there, trying to ignore the unnatural feeling of dirt covering every inch sink under my shirt and pants and the dozen of little pebbles digging into my back, I thought back to Wilhelmina's letters and what she had been saying.

Was it possible that she truly meant what she said? Did she really think it was time for our time together to end? If so, why had she not ever mentioned it to me? I couldn't recall a single time she said, even remotely hinted, that the time would come for me to leave. If she had grown tired of me, I highly doubted she would've hesitated to tell me so. I was adamant about that. For one so old as Wilhelmina, patience and mincing words tends to happen rarely. But then another thought came to me, just I began to feel sleep take me.

What if she had merely written those letters to make me chase my tail?

- 0 -

I awoke to the taste, smell, and touch of cold dirt which is not a pleasant sensation for anyone. It took a moment, but I recalled that I had crawled into a fresh grave to escape the sun's lethal light. Now that I wasn't in a frantic state of mind, I noticed how the dirt was crushing my body. It took a bit of effort but I managed to to begin the chore of digging myself out of a six foot hole. Sitting up completely was too difficult, the earth was far too cumbersome for that, but pushing the dirt aside like a swimmer underwater with my arm made it much easier to accomplish it. I continued until I was sitting, on Duane's coffin, and began again so I could position myself so that I could stand.

Once my feet were firmly planted, I leapt and I felt my hands break the surface of the earth and felt the cold night air. I dug in my fingers and began pulling. I'd had seen this done in films and such, but it was another world entirely to perform it. It was never mentioned the power it took to pull oneself out of a six foot hole with the weight of a small car weighing you down. With one brutal tug, I broke the surface and pause to look and saw that the rest of my lower body was still in the earth. Luckily, it did not take nowhere the effort it took before and I yanked my legs out of the mound of dirt.

"So that's what they mean when people say dirt nap." said a familiar voice.

I rolled onto my back and saw my ghostly friend from the night before was looked down at me with amused look on his face.

"Never thought it was so literal." he mocked.

I rolled my eyes and forced myself to stand. "So what's your story?" I began brushing the dirt from my hair and clothes. "Unfinished business?"

His smile quickly faded and he folded his arms across his chest. "You could say that?"

Normally I'd threaten his life or something similar to get him to talk, but there wasn't anything to really threaten. If this apparition had information, I assumed whomever made the candle appear had to of visited the grave recently, I was going to have to put up with all of his sarcasm and insults.

"Why don't you tell me about it?" I began walking back to my headstone.

I didn't hear his footsteps, but I heard his voice and it was full of suspicion. "If you wanted to know, why didn't you ask last night?"

"We didn't exactly have time to talk." I said. "You remember when my watch went off?"

"Yeah."

"It's a warning." I told him just as we reached my headstone. "To let me know I have an hour before the sun comes up."

"Can't you guys sense it?" he asked.

"Yeah." I reached into my pockets and emptied the dirt. "But you can never have too much time to find a safe place for the day."

"I guess." He shrugged

"So how do you know about us, vampires?" I had emptied the dirt and found my cigarette case and lighter were in the pockets. "Mind if I smoke?" I was feeling hungry and it would hold me over for a while.

"Didn't know you could."He seemed annoyed, like he was a vegetarian and I was eating a hamburger in front of him. "Sure, go ahead."

"Thanks." I lit one and my hunger was momentarily pushed aside. "So, for starters, what's your name?"

"Henry." said the specter. "Henry Carbone. You aren't the first vampire to come here."

"Passing through?" I puffed in an attempt to calm myself.

"Most of 'em." Henry motioned behind me. "One stayed for a bit, but he left last week. Its cause of him that I managed to make sense of what happened to me, for the use its been."

"You met Wilhelmina." I motioned with my free hand. "About this tall with long red hair?"

"At a bar." He said coldly. "She was real sweet."

"A bar?"

"Yeah." He scowled. "After a bit, she made it clear she wanted to do more than talk."

"She would do that." I said gently.

"I'm getting to that." he said. "We went out to her car and drove for a bit." He seemed to be becoming more and more agitated, and considering I had gone through we had, I couldn't blame him. "I wasn't really paying attention to where we were going, but I did think it was strange when she pulled into that empty field over there." Henry point to his right.

I turned my head to my left since I was facing and saw he meant Eisenhower Park. Technically he meant the golf course portion of the park. It had been a popular place for homeless drifters and teenagers seeking privacy. Since the maintenance crews hardly ever cleared dead branches or mowed the tall grass that made it look a convincing replica of a savannah, the section would be the perfect place for anything you did not want witnesses for.

"I didn't know at the time, but she wasn't alone and had one of her friends remove a big section of the wooden fence." I noticed he was clenching his fist, but I said nothing as he continued. "She eventually stopped and we got out." He looked down. "She led me farther in and just I was about to ask what she was planning, I tripped . . . over body."

I wanted to scream for him to get to the point, but I settled on tightening my grip on my cane and waited.

"That was when the car's headlights came on and I saw there were three bodies just laying around, all of them young women." Henry's voice sounded distant and quiet. "She laughed at me, just laughed at me like I said something funny, and was on top of me before I could scream."

"She bit you." I said. "She wouldn't risk breaking your neck."

"Not right away." He seemed to be lost in memory and he did not like it. "She said, 'you could be his twin brother. How fortunate.' Then she bit me and everything went black."

"And that was the last you saw of her?" I asked.

"Yes." He looked up suddenly, his face confused. "You said she wouldn't have risked breaking my neck. What do you mean?"

"She was looking for someone that matched my description." I motioned to the both of us. "We're almost identical. Same build, same hieght, same age."

"But why?" he asked, almost pleading. "Why did she do that? I never even met her before that night."

"It wasn't personal." I said. "It hardly ever it is."

"Then why?"

"Vampires aren't born. They're made." I told him. "She turned me, but she knew someone would come looking for me."

"So?"

"No one would look for a dead man." I motioned to him. "She told me she torched my car with bodies inside. We don't have the same face, but fire would make that impossible to tell and she took my wallet, probably to plant it on you."

"You mean . . .

"She killed you so everyone that knew me would think I was dead and wouldn't come looking for me." I told him. "Normally once vampires are made, they need to leave their home areas right away, but she didn't want to leave the city."

"You mean to tell me the reason I'm dead and stuck in this fucking cemetery is because she didn't want to move?!"

"Yes." I flicked away the butt. "So that was when you saw her last?"

"What?"

"I'm looking for her." I said. "I think she was kidnapped, but somehow managed to warn me. She left me letters and her last one told me to come here."

"You want to save her?" he asked, like I had suggested I was Batman. "After she killed you?"

"Its . . . complicated." I said after a moment's hesitation. "Have you seen her or not?"

"If you think I'm going to tell you anything, after what she did, then you're crazy!" He snapped. "Let her have a taste of her own medicine for once."

"Forget it then." I began walking away to the north where the train station was and my motorcycle.

"What?! That's it?!" He called after me, his voice telling me we was following. "I tell you she killed me and set my body on fire so people thought I was you and you just walk it off?"

"You were asking for it." I grunted.

Suddenly he was in front of me and I stopped short. "What did you say?"

"What do you want? An apology?" I narrowed my eyes. "You followed a woman you didn't know to her car, let her drive to place you weren't familiar with at night, you ignored every one of your instincts and warnings she threw at you, and followed her deep into a dark place far away you might be seen. For what? Because you thought she might sleep with you?" I shook my head ruefully. "You want me to feel sorry for you? Well, I don't. You were acting just like those idiots who jump out of airplanes or swim with sharks for fun."

"That doesn't make it right." he protested. "It isn't fair."

"Fair?" I repeated. "Life isn't fair. Do you think it was fair that an idiot had his pick of colleges because I did his work for him? Do you think it was fair that, despite my near perfect grades, I was turned away from scholarships because that same idiot decided to play an amusing prank?" I was seething and my fangs were running out. "Do you think it was fair that I watched others squander the chance I would have given anything to have? Was it fair that I worked my fingers to the bone, sacrificing even the smallest luxury, so my father could toss it aside like garbage?"

"But — "

"But it could just be coincidence? I'll grant you that." I demanded. "What about the hundreds in the country without a home and wondering where their next meal will come from? To say nothing of the millions of others suffering as I speak. Ethnic cleansing in Africa, drug cartels fighting in South America with thousands caught in the crossfire, child sex trafficking in Asia, war and famine in the Middle East, ruthless dictators decimating their own countries and people all over the globe!" I tapped the side of my head in astonishment. "And you want me pity from me? Did I wish for this to happen to you? No, I had nothing to do with what happened. While she was killing you, I was laying dead and motionless under the floorboards of an apartment in Soho."

He simply stood motionless and speechless.

"Let me tell you this, Henry." I pointed a finger at him. "Life is not something that can be predicted or controlled. Bad things happen to good people and vice versa and at the end of the day the world continues to spin." I stormed past him. "That's the world. Learn to live in it. Accept you were thinking with your dick like I was and it got you killed."

I did not look back and neither did I hear him again. I suppose it could be argued that the last bit was highly insensitive, perhaps ironic in a way, but he clearly did not have the information I needed. Even if by some slim chance he did, there was no way of making him talk. He truly had nothing left to lose and therefor it was completely up to him to when and if he decided to divulge or not.

I climbed the fence I had vaulted over the previous night and walked to where I had parked my motorcycle. I saw I had received a ticket and realized that I had parked in a space reserved for the handicapped. I crumbled the orange envelope and tossed it aside before I sat on my bike to think of my next move.

I couldn't shake the feeling I was being toyed with, being made to jump through hoops like a dolphin at Seaworld. I pretended to stretch, throwing my arms out as I craned my neck, to see if I was being watched. I saw and heard nothing that gave away the presence of a watcher, but if my watcher was something more than human then it was possible I did not see them. I stowed that thought aside for a moment and remembered I had yet to read Wilhelmina's third letter. I reached into my jacket, but I was distracted by strangest thing.

To my left, hardly ten feet from me, rang a public payphone.

Like an idiot, I looked around to see if anyone else was going to answer it before I recalled I was the only one in the entire station. I hopped off my motorcycle and walked to it, the ringing quite loud in the silent night.

I picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"_Bonsoir, ma fille fidèles_." A gentle female voiced greeted me before switching to english. "How was last night? I was concerned that accident might have made things difficult for you to leave the city, but I see now that I was not the case."

"Wilhelmina?" my grip on the receiver tightened. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you? What do they want?"

"Who?" She asked calmly.

"The werewolves that took you." I hissed.

"Oh that." She said. "Did you not read my letters? I assumed you had otherwise you would not have been at the train station."

"Yes. I have them, but I only read the first two. I was about to open the third when this phone rang." I could barely contain myself. "Please, Wilhelmina, what's going on?"

"I thought I could have not been more clear." She said sounding a bit confused.

"Yes, you were very clear." I assured. "I went to Ryuu's nest and then to the cemetery. I understood everything."

"Except, it seems, what was right before your very eyes." She sighed. "But I suppose that was to be expected."

"What are you talking about?" I shook my head. "Never mind that. Are you safe?"

"Quite." She said.

"Do you know where you are?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"Look to your left." She instructed. "Top floor. Balcony window to the far right."

I looked and saw The Bristol. If you had not known better you would find it strange that a luxury five star hotel sat next to a train station and adjacent to a cemetery and church. The Bristol, which sported a long dark green canopy from the front door to the street and had several levels of beautiful balconies running up the middle of the building, was a high end senior retirement home. While I had lived less than mile away, I couldn't recall I ever saw someone actually entering or leaving and there was never any car pulling in or out of the driveway.

All of the lights were off, even the most nocturnal human would have gone to bed at this hour, except for one. Like she had said, I saw that balcony on the top floor to the far right had it lights on. I could see a silhouette of young woman standing as if she was watching out all that might happen in the train station parking lot. I squinted and saw she seemed to be holding something to her ear, like a cellphone. No, she was holding receiver to her ear and the phone in her other hand.

"Do you see?"

"Yes." I croaked. "What did you mean by I didn't see what was in front me?"

"While you saw the message I left between the lines, visiting Ryuu and the cemetery," Wilhelmina said. "You failed entirely to observe the message that I wrote in the first place."

"So the part about . . . " I struggled for the words. "You were . . . "

"Serious?" She offered. "As the grave."

"But . . ." I shook my head. "No, someone is there with you. Making you say this."

"Whom?" She asked. "You would hear them breathing over this phone or see their shadow behind me. I am alone in this room."

"Not unless it was another one of our kind." I said.

"For what purpose?" She countered. "You have done nothing but amass allies among our kind and I would have warned you to any enemies I had made over the centuries that I did not deal with personally."

And suddenly, I saw it all. I knew what she was going to say, mental pictures of her messages. Messages that were clear as day and I refused to even acknowledge for smallest fraction of a second.

"To reiterate," She began. "I am leaving you the apartment to with it what you will."

Dread began to form and tie itself into a knot in the pit of my stomach, something I did think possible since I had stopped using it.

"It is time you left my side and found your own place in the world." She continued. "I have instructed you the best I can, considering the circumstances, and you have learned quite quickly. That is why I left those hidden clues in my letters. I needed to be sure you were able to keep our kind out of the view of humans, even under extreme duress."

It had been so long since I last needed to, but there it was. It was the same feeling I had when I realized I had just killed an innocent girl when I first arose and how foolishly I said I couldn't breath. Now I felt that same suffocating crushing pressure on my chest, my body rebelling against what my mind had accepted so long ago.

"Please, not again." I whispered my leg gave out from under me. I began to feel tears running down my face. "Don't do this to me again."

"Again?"

"You took everything from me." I cried. "You took my family, my home, and even my body when you made me."

"That is hardly a comparison." She said coldly. "You once said yourself you would have no doubted continued on your current path until your father perished which would have left you to support your ailing mother and less than intelligent brother." She did not stop there. "Then there is this girl, the one whom you desired. Your destitution combined with your profound delusions of wooing would have left you silently pining for her until she either married or died."

"It may have not been much, but it was all I had and I had made peace with it." I croaked. "Then you came along and shattered everything."

"I merely shattered the walls of your own ignorance." She corrected. "As well as the ones humans forced themselves into. Now you do not have make yourself a slave to others. Your fortune is your own do with as you please, as it should be. Never again will you be ordered around like some lowly peasant. Now, instead of lusting after one woman who showed a grain of pity, you can have any you fancy."

"You don't understand!" I protested. "Yes, I wanted all that when I was human, but not anymore." I wiped my eyes, tears continuing to run down my face. "I told you the truth when I said you were all I needed. I love you."

"No, you don't."

"W-what?"

"I've told you before, the bond between child and sire is strong." She said firmly. "While it is not always the case, they can become lovers as we were. What you feel now for me is merely that, the bond."

"No, it's not." I brought my knees close.

"How would you?" She asked. "Have you ever been in love before?"

"Yes!"

"To that girl, Christine Willis." She reminded me. "The same girl whom you took one single month to stop agonizing over. If you had truly loved her, why not return to her the moment I trusted you to leave the nest?" She then asked. "If you do still desire her, why not seek her out and bring her over to be at your side for eternity?"

I was at a loss for words.

"Accept this." She ordered. "Our time together has come to an end. Do not look for me and do not pursue me. If we are to see each other again, it will by my summons or destiny's will."

"No!" I shook my head frantically as I cried. "Please, don't go!"

"Good bye, Dominick."

"No! Wait!"

Then I heard the unmistakable click of a phone being hung up just as the light in room went out.

"Wilhelmina!" I shouted as I sprang to my feet.

I ran, through the empty parking lot, to the front door of the Bristol. I knew she could outrun me. I knew she could order me away, but I didn't care. I just needed to speak with her face to face. Maybe there something I could say, some feat to accomplish, anything that would keep her from leaving me. Then the strangest thing happened.

A loud horn sounded to my immediate left and a very bright light

They grew louder and stronger and I wondered what it was or what it could be. Just as I turned my head to see, some large and powerful force slammed into my body and I was flying for a moment.

The last thing that went through my head, before it collided and cracked on the pavement, was how even with my gift and all it could do — Wilhelmina had gotten one over me.

And once is all it ever takes.


	15. Decoding Lies

Like when I was ambushed on Halloween earlier this year, I woke to piercing pain and soreness. The back of my head felt incredibly tender as did most my chest, though not as severe. My legs and arms felt best, but it was like difference between a third and fourth degree burn. Either way, you did not want it to happen.

I sat up only to receive a sharp blow when my head collided with an incredibly low ceiling. A low metallic ceiling once I tapped it with a knuckle. I felt around and saw I was laying in space perfectly suited for a body, but not a coffin.

I was ripped from my examination as a blinding light appeared at my feet and the surface I was laying slid towards it. So sudden and forceful was it that I was thrown back and slammed the back of my head with metallic thud. Before I had time to even hiss at the pain, which was quite excruciating, I found myself staring into even brighter and blinding lights. Naturally I threw my arms up at the light, but someone gripped my arms with an iron grip. I tried to futilely to wrench my arms from whatever had ahold of them, but I was too weak. Still I did continue to blindly struggle, my eyes still recovering from shock of going from pitch blackness to blinding white.

Then suddenly I heard a woman's voice .

"No, no. Shh!" She say warmly. "All is well."

Whether I willed it to or not, I felt too weak to continue and laid down.

"That is better." I heard quick footsteps go and retreat before I felt strong hand cradle my head and tilt it upward. "This shall help." I felt something being pushed to my lips. "Drink."

I sniffed and realized she was trying to get me to drink blood. Either this woman was familiar with vampires or she was one herself.

As I drank, my eyes began to adjust. The woman who was feeding me, much like a sick child, was a vampire. She had pale white skin which made her shoulder length black hair seem much darker than it was. Her eyes were very dull blue that they almost seemed gray. She did not wear much make-up, save for some lipstick and the faintest hint of eyeshadow, and her jewelry was simple with a golden dot in each ear and simple gold wedding ring.

She possessed a slim build, compact and thin like an Olympic runner, but her clothes did not indicate that. Her feet sported plain high heels, no fancy straps or wild eye catching colors. Her skirt, which I found strange, was made of orange denim and ended just above her knees. For a top, a simple black blouse which she had left a bit open to display a bit of cleavage.

Continuing to drink, from a large glass flask that would be right a home in any random chemist's lab in the world, I cast my eyes to my surroundings. The floor was meticulously clean and sparkled as if just freshly polished, the dark blueish gray tiles almost seemed to marvel at their state of sanitation. There were three long elevated metal tables in the middle of the room with a scale attached and faucet at the end.

Directly behind me were three levels of small metallic doors, each roughly the size of half a normal door. Some were ajar, but most were firmly shut. I caught the light humming of electric motors among them, like refrigerator in the untouched kitchen of the nest, mixed with the faint buzzing of florescent lights overhead.

Opposite the rows of doors, past the metallic tables, was a large stainless steel sink that shined with sheen of the recently cleaned. I saw small little boxes of latex gloves and paper towels resting on a small shelf above it. Next to that was a very large cabinet, made of matching stainless steel, with glass doors allowing me to see various kinds of medical supplies like cotton balls and alcohol. Tucked in the corner was a table filled with various kinds of lab equipment including a Bunsen burner heating a large tube of water. There beakers, flasks, and test tubes of all shapes and sizes. Some of them were filled and labeled while others were empty.

The walls were a very intense shade of off-white with not paintings or decorations of any kind. There were two long rectangles mounted on the far wall, which I thought strange, then I flashed when I had my appendix removed and saw it was the machine doctors and the like use to view X-rays.

With the last drop gone, the vampire pulled the flask from my lips and asked. "Do you feel better?" I noticed the faintest hint of a french accent which did not help one bit.

Unable to find the words, I nodded.

"Do you require more?" She wiggled the flask so there would be no misunderstanding.

Again, I nodded.

I watched as she walked to a small miniature refrigerator I had missed next to the table with lab equipment. She opened and removed a few transfusion bag filled with blood. I studied her intently as she poured the each of the bags' contents into the flask and then carefully set the flask in the simmer tub of water heated by the Bunsen burner.

I went to stand. My legs buckled for a moment before I steadied myself. I also felt a slightly jab of pain in my side. It was less like a piercing sensation and more akin to being stuck with something heavy and blunt. Either way, I couldn't help the groan and putting my hand to my side.

"I would not recommend moving just yet." said the vampire. "Not until you've had more blood. Your body sustained quite serious injury last night."

"I'll keep that in mind." I leaned against the wall behind me and noticed I was nude. I seemed to be making a habit of that. "Where are my clothes?"

"They were discarded. Well, most of them. That jacket you were wearing I managed to save along with that cane you were carrying." She was occupied checking the blood's temperature with a thermometer. "The jacket should be back soon from being cleaned. There are some clothes in that bag by your feet."

I looked down and saw a plain backpack as well as my cane leaning against it. I bent down opened it. I removed and slowly dressed, my body protesting at every movement, in a pair of black denim jeans and a dark forrest green long sleeve shirt. At the bottom of backpack were a pair of shoes which were a bit large for my feet, but not unduly so.

I slowly bent down to tie them, "Who are you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know where you are now?" She said sounding a bit occupied.

"I know where I am." I answered.

"Really?"

"Bellevue Hospital."

"Impressive." She paused and studied my for a moment. "But you were unconscious your entire journey here. How did you know?"

"It was more of a guess." I admitted. "Once I realized this was a morgue, I noticed it was very large. All hospitals have them, but this very large so it had to be one of larger teaching hospitals." I gazed around. "It could have easily been Winthrop in Mineola, but their morgue is much smaller and not as advanced."

"You have been there?"

"I wandered in once when I was a child." I nodded. "Watching a doctor dissect a cadaver tends to stick with you."

"That it does." She nodded. "I remember my first experience with death. A young sailor learned he had a nut allergy when a friend offered him a taste." She carefully lifted the flask from the water and dried it with a rag. "This was back when ships were still constructed from wood and relied on wind and current to travel. I watched as words were spoken over his body and he was lowered into the sea."

"How old were you?" I asked.

"Eight, I think." She paused as she handed me the flask of blood. "Yes it was eight. I was born in 1600 and Samuel de Champlain had just founded Quebec which history says occurred in 1608."

"I see." I took a sip feeling strength flow into me. "So what is your name?"

"Sylvie Antoinette Genevieve Lefèvre" She answered. "Although I have been using the name Sally for last century or so. I find that most cannot help themselves calling me Sibbi. Sally is much more difficult to mispronounce, no?"

"Sally?" The name seemed familiar to me. "You're the coroner here?"

"Yes." Sylvie, excuse me, Sally motioned to me. "What is your name?"

"Dominick." I said. "Though to match your method, I am Dominick Santiago Torres Valentino."

"Oh, I see." She smiled fondly. "That explains so much."

"Excuse me?"

"I was wondering why both Matthew and Ryuu were very concerned with you." Sally picked up my cane and drew the blade. "When I saw this I had my suspicions, but I did not think you would be him?"

"Him?" I asked. "What are you talking about?"

"There are not many of our kind in this kingdom, but all of them are aware of the problems the werewolves have making for the sheriffs of areas two and three." Sally looked to the sword. "Then came a single vampire. It took him mere hours to devise a strategy that not only ended his feud that had last months, but sent a message to the other packs and allowed him to secure a very large sum of money."

I wanted to point out it had taken minutes to form a rough plan that lacked any real thought that ultimately had not been pursued because the pack had chosen that night to attack, but I was too stunned at how great she was making me out to be. I was never accustomed to praise and that had more or less remained the same when I was turned, but it was still shocking to think my tale being spread as the tale of Beowulf had. Granted, I had never slain a dragon, but deaths of three large werewolf packs without actually taking part in the battles had to count for something.

"In addition to a share of the spoils, Ryuu gave that vampire this." Sally motioned to the sword. "A sword crafted by his own hands with a silver edge and made to appear as a walking stick." She looked to me and continued. "But a survivor vows revenge and bids his time searching for the one that delivered his family to his enemies. He spends the next few months capturing and killing vampires in an attempt to discover his location, including the sheriff's child. The vampire is eventually captured by chance, along with a companion. Not only does he manage to escape, he rescues the sheriff's child and his companion. Together, they kill all of his followers and burn his headquarters."

I continued drinking. Clearly, Sally was engrossed in my epic and there was little I could do to stop her. Plus, it gave me something to focus on rather what had lead me to be in Holy Rood Cemetery and what had occurred there moments before something large, a truck I had guessed, had struck me.

"Then that same vampire sought out to aid the sheriff of area two. Again he succeeds." She nodded approvingly. "After given the information gathered by the sheriff's investigator, he discovers the havens the Weres thought safe in a single night for many years."

"Then he disappears." I finished. "No hears or sees of him after."

"Do you know what they call you?" She asked.

"Dominick I would guess."

"The sheriffs and those close to them, yes." She said. "But to the rest you are know simply as The Ductor."

"Doctor?" I cocked my head.

"No, not doctor. The Ductor." Sally pronounced it as if she added the word tar to duke. Duke-tar. "It is the Latin word for leader, commander, chieftain, general and — "

"Guide." I said. "I lead, or guided, others to victory."

"Yes." Sally agreed. "And from a losing side."

"Why Latin?"

"While the vampires enjoy stories, they have learned to not believe everything they hear." Sally explained. "The werewolves, the ones not involved, have spread many wild rumors, each more exaggerated than the last. Some claim it was the Ductor whom devised the strategy of Thermopylae when Persia invaded Greece. There are even rumors he taught Alexander the great and it was his teaching, not Sun Tzu's, that are written in the Art Of War." Sally then shrugged as it was inevitable. "But most seem to favor the tale that it was his military mind that allowed Rome to build a vast empire and the one time they did not follow his counsel, it lead to massacre of Teutoberg Forest."

"And since it was the language of Romans," I concluded. "They thought it appropriate to follow suit."

"Exactly." Sally agreed.

"But how did you know I am this Ductar?" I found it oddly pleasing to given such a title, but I stowed it away. "It wasn't until i gave you my name."

"I have been in this city when this hospital was hardly more than a flimsy barn on the outskirts of the city proper. Very few have been stayed as long as I have." Sally motioned to me. "Among them is your maker, Wilhelmina Wallace."

And there it was. A sudden pierce where my heart lay. True it had been cold and unmoving for some time now, but then why did I ache? I did not feel this way when I was turned. No, I did not. This felt worse ten time over. I would gladly go back without complaint to those first unbearable nights instead of now where a single name felt like knife in my chest.

Or my back.

"She came to me one night." Sally continued, oblivious to my pain. "I had been in her debt when I was in danger of being discovered and provided me with a safe place to rest. Years had passed since then and she asked for blood for a child that was proving difficult and refused to feed."

"Wil -" I caught myself as I felt that pierce again. "She mentioned my name."

"Yes." Sally looked me over. "I remembered because it is very rare that a child has any form of self control. She mentioned you rose and actually walked the streets before she returned from hunting and found you missing and summoned you."

"Is it really that rare?" I asked.

"A mere scent of a human should be enough for child on their first night." Sally looked intrigued. "It is difficult enough to think clearly, let alone form and carry out a plan to return home. That is what you were trying do accomplish is it not? To return home?"

"Yes." I said after a moment. "Until she called me back. I spent the next year locked inside. She said normally that it was common practice to simply leave the child's home area, but she didn't want to leave the city." I chuckled grimly. "A bit ironic now that I think about it."

"Really?"

"There wasn't really a reason to leave." I said. "In a city of millions that spans over three major islands and the people are crowded together like sardines, not a single person knows or even cares about their neighbors." I motioned to her. "You've been here since when? 1736? How many people have noticed you over the years?"

There was a knock on the door and both of us whipped our head towards the sound, fangs running out and hissing in warning.

Again there was knock, this time followed by a voice. "Hello, Sally?" The knob shook slightly as the visitor found the door was locked. "Its me, Jack."

"It is safe." Sally walked to the door, but hesitated. "Were you followed?"

"No." said Jack behind the door.

_"Y at-il quelqu'un avec vous maintenant_?" Sally asked in rapid french.

Then Jack answered, but in German judging by the accent. "_Ich möchte_."

Sally opened the door and a young man of about thirty entered with a leather jacket draper over his arm. He was of average height, perhaps just at six feet. He had olive skin and muted green eyes. His long curly brown hair was combed back and shined with wetness. His clothes were simple, an olive collared shirt under a damp coat and black denim jeans.

"Its really coming down out there." He ran a hand through his hair.

"Did you get it?" Sally asked.

"Here it is." He held out the jacket, my jacket, out to her.

"It has been torn to shreds!" Sally took the jacket and poked a finger through a hole in a sleeve. "What did they do?"

"Its alright, Sally." I said walking to her. "That jacket has its share of stories. I just added a few of my own."

"So it's yours then?" Jack asked.

"Yes." I took the jacket from Sally and slipped it on.

"I'm Jack." He held out his hand hesitantly.

I said nothing, but looked to Sally.

"He is new." She said lowering Jack's hand for him. "And mine."

"Y-yeah." Jack added. "I-I-I am h-hers."

"You can relax, Jack." I told him. "Even if you weren't Sally's, I'd avoid killing you."

"Really?" He asked. "Why?"

"Has the expression, 'do not look a gift horse in the mouth' ever been mentioned to you?" Sally chastised him, but not superior sort of way. It was more teasing, like close friend or, what I guessed, a lover.

"Well for starters, you're not a woman." I said as I zipped my jacket. "Second, Sally would be at risk. A nurse mentions during an investigation that the surgical resident was last seen heading to the morgue. They would try to locate and find Sally. They would trail her to her home at night, break in, think she had died, and she would perish when they carted her off to this very morgue during the day."

"How . . ." Jack began to ask.

"Your ID card." I pointed to his pants pocket where it was still clipped. "Plus you're too old to be an intern, but too young to be an attending and certainly chief of medicine. Naturally that left resident."

"Except he is the attending." Sally smiled. "Early ascension."

"All thanks to my Sally her." Jack put an around her. "She is a godsend."

"She tutored you." I said. "Teaching things that take months, even years, to learn on your own."

"It is something I do now and then." Sally winked. "I offered and he accepted."

"This hospital is Sally's baby." Jack motioned to the entire room. "Each and every major discovery this place has done is a result of her experience."

"And all of the famous doctors associated with it?" I asked. "Doctors who developed new treatment and tools."

"They were once mine." Sally nodded to Jack. "They all knew they were not the first nor the last to receive my tutledge, like Jack now.

"But why?" I asked. "What does one of us care whether or not they have the knowledge to treat disease and injury?"

"Quite frankly, I don't care." Sally shrugged.

Jack whipped his head to face her. "What?"

"It is not desire to help or ease suffering that drives me." Sally brushed a lock of hair behind his ear before speaking to me. "It is mystery?"

"Mystery?"

"I have seen men poison themselves with drink and drugs yet live a century while others carefully took care not to dropped like flies before leaving their teens years." She pointed to the wall where I been resting. "There is a man, closer to thirty then forty, there who was brought back to lfe from drowning while he tried to save a child, but he never fully recovered. The child had also drowned and was also revived, yet a day's rest and he was returned home." She looked me and asked gently. "Tell me, Ductor, how is our existence possible? We do not require air to breath, nor water to drink, or even food to eat. Aye, we drink blood, but happens to it once we feed? How can our bodies digest it if not a single organ in our bodies functions?"

"You're seeking a cure." I said.

"A cure? No!" Sally shook her head and motioned to us. "This is not a disease, but a gift."

"But its magic!" I said. "Its not something that can be explained by science."

"Humans believed it was magic that caused storms and earthquakes." She countered. "Like then, what is considered magic now may not in the centuries to come."

"I hate to interrupt, but Sally we have date." Jack said. "Remember?"

"Oh, that is right." She looked to me and inclined her head. "Please excuse us. Jack has procured tickets to . . ." She looked to him. "What play was it?"

"Phantom of the Opera." Jack padded his pocket. "Had enough time to pick them up along with the jacket."

"Is there anything you need?" Sally asked me.

I checked the inside of my jacket and found three envelopes and some small sum of money. "No, I'll be fine."

"Be sure to rest this night and have more blood." She frowned. "I can't understand but your body seems to heal slower than normal."

I assured her I would and left. Sally gave me special directions to an exit that was not heavily monitored. It was entirely possible that someone had opened the body bag I was brought in and had a good look of my face. So not to risk stories of a body rising from the dead and walking out the front door, I took the exit staff often used for smoke breaks. It just so happened to be where the ambulances and their staff entered and left. It was perfect. Plenty of foot traffic, but no one paying mind to those coming or going.

I slowly walked, not paying attention to the direction or particularly caring. The city was as it was when I left it. People bustled back and forth in a cacophony of race, languages, and gender. Horns mingled with the chorus of screeching tires and revving engines. Steam rose from street and sewer grates, warming the homeless whom held out their hands for money. Children cried and laughed as they ran through the crowd while their mothers called after them. All this noise and distraction and the only thing that I noticed, when I collapsed on an empty bench, was that it had begun to snow.

The ground had a thin sheet of white and was wet from where it had begun to melt. Some opened umbrellas while others threw on their hoods. Owners threw salt in front of their shops to prevent ice from building up. Cars and the like slowed a bit and their wipers sprang to life.

I recalled how happy the snow used to make me. As a child, I would do all that it allowed. I might build a wall of snow and ice to have a snowball fight with other children or together make a snowman, If there was enough, we might trek to a hill and go sledding on trashcans lids or scrape wood if we did not own an actual sled. Of course that was short lived.

It was not long before my father would thrust a shovel into my hands and had me accompany him as he plowed driveways and parking lots. He would wake me hours before sunrise and after a quick breakfast of toast and tea, we would make rounds around the neighborhood and often not return until well after dark. While he stayed relatively warm in the truck, I would clear paths and sidewalks in front of homes. Slowly, but surely, cold would creep its way through the thickest of boots and clothing and my hands and feet would sting and burn with cold. It did not take long for me to dread the winter and prayed that it would snow. If it did, I begged for school not to close or for the snow to melt before the weekend. That dread stuck with me. Even as I grew and he took my brother instead, I couldn't help feeling despondent when the leaves began to change and we woke to a world of white powder.

It could not have come to at a worse time as I sat there, alone on a bus stop bench in a city of millions. Even if I was to return to the nest, excuse me, my newly acquired apartment, what was there for me? Just four empty rooms along with an unused kitchen and bathroom. What was that proverb? The one of being cautious of what one wished for because they might just get it. How many times did I do just that? I yearned to leave and live my own life. No more struggling to simply stay afloat or sacrificing even the smallest luxury. It was not the idea of working my entire life that bothered me, not in the slightest. It was slaving away all day to merely ensure that I would continue to do so. In short, I wanted to work to live and not live to work.

And there I sat, wishing for someone to take me back to it. I knew then ignorance was bliss. Had Wil — No, I won't speak her name — Had that woman never entered my life, I would never know what it was to love, to truly care for another, only to have it thrown back in my face. I would have been better off just driving on that fateful night than stopping for her. It was the classic of no good deed goes unpunished.

"How are you doing that?" asked a young voice.

I turned my head to see a small child standing next to his mother who was struggling with the zipper of her coat.

"Doing what?" I patted my cheeks, but my hand was clean of blood.

"That!" The child pointed to my other hand.

I looked down and saw a small mound, hardly the size of an anthill, of snow had collected in my hand, unmelted. A vampire's body is never naturally warm. It tends to be on the cool side, but is usually at the same as the environment. They also do not feel temperatures per say. Anything between bone blistering hot and skin hardening cold can usually be pushed aside and ignored. It seemed that I had retreated into myself, as all vampires do when they need peace to think, I had left my hand upturned and snow collected.

"Oh that." I shook the snow out my hand and stood.

"Is that magic trick?" he asked.

"Sure." I said and stood. "Let's go with that."

I took my cane and began walking again before he had the chance to ask for more.

As I walked, I slipped my hands into my pockets. I stopped when I felt the envelopes that I followed like Hansel and Gretel did breadcrumbs. I recalled I never did open the third and final letter. It had to be the final one, otherwise she would have not been waiting for me to reach the train station.

I stood under a blue canopy so the falling snow would not land on the paper and make the ink dry. I paused to to see people exiting the shop, which turned out to be a bakery called La Delice, carrying white boxes and fresh bread with steam curling around them. I sampled the air and licked my lips at the scent of powdered sugar on delicate pastries and pieces of warm luscious chocolate in savory sweet dough. I watched with longing inside to see customers selecting and sampling various kinds of appealing pasties or pointing to loaves of fresh bread being brought in from the ovens.

Again I was reminded of what She had taken from me. How long had passed since my mother's simple dinner of Chilean humitas? Better yet, what did they taste like?

Memories sprang before my mind's eye. First, I was barely old enough to walk when I had my very first taste of choclate, a gift from an uncle that had died hardly three years later in a car accident. It wasn't expensive handmade gourmet chocolate imported from Europ. It was the plain kind that could be found anywhere in the country, but that small square dark square tasted like heaven itself. Then, I was a child as my father grilled meat, one of the few pleasant memories I had of him, over a bed of charcoal as my mother and brother brought homemade bread and a salad made from the garden my mother tended in spring and summer. Now, I was a bit older as my family and that of my aunt's gathered around a table for Christmas dinner of succulent pork that tasted of apples with slightest hint of mint.

With an effort I tore my gaze, and my mind, away from food. I turned my back to the window and opened the letter, the last thing she had given me.

_Dear Dominick,_

_I have no doubt you had deciphered the messages I left for you to follow in my previous with Relative ease, but I suggest reading them once again. It is entirely possible you may overlooKed a crucial detail in your Haste._

_On the chance you saw everything at first glance and you are where need to be, then enjoy. You certainly have proved time and timE again your gift will not allow to Fall prey to old struggles, but nothing is without its price._

_This Should give you a founDation to stand upon._

_With Love,_

I stopped reading before I could see her name.

I was more than half tempted to tear this and the rest of letters and throw them to the winds. It was clear she wanted to reread her previous letters, but I was hesitant. She had sent me on the wildest of goose chases once before across half of Long Island, what was to stop her from doing that again, or something worse? Then I reread her letter and it seemed she was hinting at something more.

Unless I was mistaken, she had left another message other than the ones I had first seen. She also seemed to be hinting I was suppose to be at a certain location when I read this letter for the last line to make sense. So I was to read and reread her letters until I discovered a location among the lies. All for the likely possibility to give her the opportunity to sink the knife deeper and perhaps even twist as she did so.

I should just return to the nest and leave her waiting, I told myself. Let myself have some semblance of dignity and not appear like a desperate fool. She clearly wanted to see her handiwork and I had suspicion she had called Ryuu and Matthew to ensure I would return to the city. If that was her goal, and I was almost certain it was, I would not let her reach it. Not without a fight at least.

But if that was the case, I should read the letters regardless. If I knew her, if far less than I originally thought, she would take that into account. For all I knew, she would be waiting for me at my nest.

I folded the letter and carefully placed it in my coat. I began walking down what I realized was Third Avenue in Kips Bay hardly three blocks from Bellevue. It felt nice to be away from harrowing scent of the bakery and it helped clear my head, if only slightly.

I entered the first dimly lit bar I came across. It was hardly a bar. I would not be surprised if it had simply been built to fill a space between two buildings, and hastily built at that. The wooden floor creaked whenever one of the few patrons treded to the bar for a drink. The air smelt of stale beer and cigarette smoke. I found an obscure table in the corner and reached into my jacket. I laid the letters in front of me and lit a cigarette to curb my hunger for later.

I read the first letter slowly and paused when I reached the words Dragon and nest. She had taught that it was always best to hide in plain sight. It was the reason she and others lived in a high end apartment in one of the largest cities in the country instead of moving from place to place and sleeping in crypts and such. She wanted the message to be noticed, but not first glance. She would have have taken into account the fact I would be looking for one so it had to be subtle, very subtle. So that was the trick, how to make her message both noticeable yet hidden. Based on that logic, if I was to do what she was attempting, I would hide message within her hints to travel to Ryuu's home and the cemetery.

I had discovered her first clue by noticing she had purposely capitalized the first letters of dragon and nest. I ignored the words and began going over each letter individually. As it turned out, I missed two letters before I caught dragon and nest. I made a mental note and continued with the letter, berating myself for not noticing earlier that each letter had various out of place capitalized letters.

I paid for a glass of scotch, just so no one came and bullied me into doing so, and the bartender gave me a pen. I returned to the table and wrote down all of the letters on a napkin. It had taken about ten minutes in find all the letters and make sure I had not missed a single one. I quickly stuffed the letters into my jacket and lit another cigarette to study the napkin.

It was an anagram.

At first glance it was nothing than a random collection of letters, but I knew better. There was very little chance of this assortment being simply a coincidence, the mistakes of someone whom had forgotten the complicated rules of the english language. If there had been only a few out of place letters then I would find another train of thought, but twenty-nine between three messages was far from few. I also considered the abundance of vowels which also oddly stood out to me. With only six among twenty-six, they were bound to repeat quite often in any written message, encoded or not.

K

I was certain these letters, once put in the right order, would spell out a location. She hinted to enjoy something, but only if I deciphered this message and was right I needed to be. It had be a well known landmark, like the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty, because she would have provided numbers as well to give me an exact address. The problem, a very considerable one, New York City had dozen upon dozens of famous historical landmarks, many of them not simply in Manhattan but spread over the rest of the boroughs.

I decided to tackle the problem head on. I began listing all of landmarks in Manhattan. If none fit, I would move onto the rest of the city until I found it. If none of the landmarks fit the anagram, at least I knew to start on a new train of thought.

Saint Paul's Chapel was the first I eliminated along with the Morris-Jumel Mansion and Carnegie Hall. The Woolworth building, New York Public Library, and Grand Central Station all followed, but it was the latter that gave me part of the message. I told myself her anagram could spell out the wrong location, but better to eliminate the possibility.

It was possibly she was directing me to a station, possibly a train station. With that in mind, I tried Penn Station and another piece fell into place. She wanted me at Penn Station, perhaps to take a train. With Penn Station eliminating several letters, it was relatively easier to deduce the rest. I had no indication I was correct or if I was eight ways wrong from Sunday, but I mentally took a step back and looked at my work.

At first, it was just meaningless gibberish.

K

But rearranged in the right order, assuming it was the right order, it became

K

And once I grouped them together and spaced out the words, the meaning was clear.

PENN STATION AND HOTEL FRONT DESK.

She was telling me to reach Penn Station, cross the street, and go to the front desk of New York's Hotel Pennsylvania.

I sat there debating with myself whether or not I should go. I still was not certain of her motive. She clearly wanted our meeting to be public, but with an option of privacy should the need arise. As to why she wanted one last encounter, it was beyond me. She already had removed all of her belongings from the nest and had ample time while I was racing across Long Island to pick anything she might have missed.

I could think of any multitude of reasons to go as well as to go home. It was hard, but I decided to meet her anyway. It was as if I was literally having a verbal argument with myself. If it had been aloud, it would very similar to this

"_I should just go home_," I told myself again. "_Return to the nest and leave her waiting_."

"_If she wants to see you it will happen_,"said the logical part of my mind, "_All she has to do is summon you_."

"_I need to feed and rest_," I countered. "_This is my third night without having any blood_."

"_Sally gave you enough_."

"_Enough to get me on my feet, with a cane. I can barely think straight as it is and its only going to get worse_."

"_Good! She'll let her guard down and you can use that_."

"_No she won't. She'll be expecting something. That's why she had me run across the island, so I wouldn't have time to form a plan or figure hers out_."

"_Then she would have considered you wouldn't come. She knows you have no other place to go. Either she'll have something waiting for you to make go to the hotel or she'll look at a clock and summon you_."

"_So there's no avoiding it then_?"

"_Go home or to the hotel. Either way, its the hotel_."

It was a very short cab ride from the bar to the hotel and it was only due to the snow that felt longer than it should have. I got off directly in front of hotel which sat across Madison Square Garden on Seventh Avenue. I looked up at the structure and turned to face the Penn Station exit directly in front of the Garden.

As one would expect, even with snow falling on the ground at such a late hour, both the train station and the Garden attracted mass crowds like cheese to rats. So much so that it was the sight of an impromptu taxi station with portable rails with green sheets of plastic with taxi written on them to separate the line of those waiting for taxis from the crowd.

I entered the hotel and paused as I tried to locate the front desk. I expected the entire lobby to packed with people eager to rent rooms with the holidays hardly three weeks away, but I was only partially correct. The lobby was somewhat active, but only with bellboys and such carrying luggage and pushing carts with trays food. A janitor pushed a mop and bucket while another occupied polishing the beige tile floor to a pristine shine. Another appeared to my side and began vacuuming the large rug with the hotel's logo, a capital H and P entwined, in the middle. There were several leather benches for people to sit and rest as they waited to be shown to their rooms opposite the front desk where a family was checking in.

I waited until the family disappeared, and the bellboy with their luggage, behind a pair of white elevator doors before I walked up to the front desk. The man standing behind the counter had bronze skin as well light brown hair, dark blue eyes and a heavy build. He was dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt and sky blue tie. His hair was neatly combed and was clean shaven.

"Hello." He flashed me a dazzling smile. "How may I help you?"

"Has a woman checked in the past few days?" I gestured with my hand. "About this tall with long red hair?"

"I don't think so." His smile dropped slightly. "She might have, but I'm afraid I am only here for the night shift."

"Then you would have seen her." I said. "She wouldn't be someone you'd forget."

"Did she speak with a french accent?" He asked unsure.

"Yes." I answered. "So she is here?"

"I am not at liberty to say." He said. "It is against our policy of respecting our guest's privacy."

"You don't say." I said soothing as I readied to glamor him.

"But she did say someone would come looking for her." He motioned for a bellboy to come over.

I stopped myself as he whispered in the bellboy's ear and handed him a key. Fortunately, I caught every word he said.

"Go get the briefcase in my locker." He told him. "Here's the key and hurry."

I watched as the bellboy hurried and disappeared behind a door. I turned to man in the suit. He seemed nervous, like he wished nothing for me to leave.

"Bad experience with briefcases?" I asked.

He looked at me with caution and then carefully made sure we were out of ear shot. "The last time a briefcase was left here turned out to be filled with bags of pure cocaine."

"And it was discovered I take it."

"Yes." He nodded. "Police and SWAT teams came crashing in waving guns and shouting." He tried to calm himself. "With all due respect, the sooner you leave the better."

"If its such a risk, then why not refuse to take it?" I motioned to him. "You could be arrested by doing so."

"That's the strangest thing." He whispered. "I remember telling her no, but then I was holding the damn thing and she was gone."

"And you had no option to follow through." I said, knowing she had glamored him when he refused.

The bellboy then returned with a plain black leather briefcase. There was nothing special about it. There must be billions of them used in every office all over the country. I took it from him and sniffed it. Besides the scent of the bellboy and man who had taken it, I caught the scent of her.

"Is that it?" I asked.

"Yes." said the man behind the counter. "Now please go."

"She isn't here?"

"No. I only saw her when she dropped that off three nights ago."

It was rather an uneventful cab ride back to the nest. As I rode, I held the briefcase to my ear and caught no sounds. There was nothing moving inside so it held nothing alive and it did not explode when I violently shook it. I carefully smelled it, but only caught her scent and the two humans that handled the case.

I got out to see a couple of police cruisers blocking part of Broadway and two ambulances. The ambulances were being loaded with large black bags on gurneys and I recalled that I had killed two humans in the adjacent alley. That is New York City for you. Kill two humans without bothering to cover the act up and people will continue to walk put until the smell reaches above the levels of bad garbage. I noticed that the police had set up a perimeter with yellow around the crime scene. The crowd had begun to disperse and the few remaining were speaking to detectives who took notes on what was said.

I looked around to see if anyone was watching and took my cane out of my belt and limped to the building. Most did not pay me much attention, except to step aside, and I actually made to the front door before a detective stopped me.

"Excuse me," she said. "But do you live here?"

"Kinda," I said, slipping into a British accent. "Did something happen?"

"Two bodies were found in the alley." She frowned. "What did you mean you kind of stay here?"

"A mate of mine is letting me squat for a bit." I shrugged. "Until I can find a flat of my own."

"And where is your friend now?"

"Don't know." I shrugged. "Said he was gonna spend the night with a girl or two of his, the jammy bloke."

"What's wrong with your leg?"

"Some mental jacked a bike and thought he'd try to outrun the police." I was growing tired of this game, but I smiled ruefully and tapped my thigh. "Crash right into me as my mates and I were playing football in the park."

"Funny you mention a bike." She pointed to alley. "A witness says he saw motorcycle sped out there in a hurry."

"Well, I doubt he was the same bloke." I said. "He was almost sixty when that happened and I was twelve. So unless yer lookin' for a mental lag, I don't think I can help ya."

"Do you know anyone that lives here that owns a motorcycle or recently bought one?" She continued. "Or someone hanging around on one?"

"Naw. I know people around here don't like other sticking their nose into their affairs, so I just keep mine clean and to myself" I shook my head. "Look, officer, I'm pretty knackered. I don't know how I can be of any help."

"Here." She handed me a business card. "If you remember anything or see anything unusual, call this number day or night."

"Sure, love." I took the card and stuffed it into my pocket. "I'll do just that."

I hobbled to the elevator, the detective watching me carefully, and rode to my floor. Once the doors opened I peeked my head to see if there were any police before I walked normally to the apartment. I carefully entered the apartment and saw it was entirely untouched since I last left it, except for one small thing.

A stray cat had wandered in and decided the corner seat of the couch, where a towel had been left, was the perfect to give birth to a litter of kittens. It had a jet black gleaming coat and goldish copper eyes. I looked up to see a window had been left open. I used to think were very intelligent, but clearly it was on an individual basis. Why on else would a pregnant cat walk the thin ledge of building several stories above street level as it snowed and wander into a vampire nest?

As I approached, it hissed at me. I hissed back in annoyance which she responded by hissing again as she wrapped her tail protectively around her litter. I set the briefcase on the table which she watched carefully while I locked the door. I sat on an armchair one the far end, away from the cat who thought I was the intruder.

She growled at me.

"Shut up." I said.

She responded with a hiss, making sure I caught sight of her long fangs.

"Nice." Now I hissed again and my fangs ran out. "Your turn."

She merely froze and stared at me.

"Thought so." I returned to briefcase. "Now what game are you playing?"

I opened it and the last line of her letter fell into place. She had mentioned my gift would prevent me from falling prey to old struggles, but nothing came without a price. The contents of the case was to give me a foundation to stand on. It seemed the old struggle she was referring to was my battle with money, or rather my lack of it. I liked to tell her that no one knew better that to make money one needed to spend money than the poor. It was poor that knew the value of money and knew how to stretch far more than those born into their riches. In layman's terms, the rich had all the resources but it was the poor that knew how to care for those resources. But every now and then, one of the poor was able to lift himself out of his poverty and join the rich in their golden estates, and he would stay that way so long he remembered his time as one of the destitute.

She knew Ryuu had given me a large amount of money for my services and Matthew would presumably give me a much larger fee, but she had decided to add to that already substantial foundation for a single vampire with this case.

The briefcase was filled to the brim with thick stacks of hundreds, all held together with rubber bands..

In the past I would have sat there, dumbfounded, but not tonight. I was angry. Did she truly think this would up make for her betrayal? Did she believe I was so easily bought? I severely doubt she even gave all of this money a second thought. After all, what was money to an immortal? She had roaming the earth since the fourteenth century, I wouldn't be surprised hundreds of caches like this all over Europe and America, I know I would.

I closed the case with an angry flourish which made the cat flinch and hiss at me. I stared daggers until she seemed to recall she was not the only one with fangs and laid her head down.

I stood and walked to kitchen. I opened one of the cupboards and removed a stack of tuna fish. We had done away with the fresh food ages ago, but we were to lazy to get rid of the canned food as well. I opened the can and drained the water in the sink. I then filled a small bowl with water and laid both the tuna and water next to the cat.

Naturally, she hissed and growled when I approached.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it." I said. "You're a scary cat. Just shut up and eat."

She sniffed the tuna before tasting it. Once finished with tuna, she lapped some water and wrapped herself around her litter to sleep.

"Doesn't take much to make you happy, does it?" I sighed. "Or are you lying to me too?"


	16. Killing Time

"Sorry, hon, I haven't seen her in weeks." The bartender shrugged as she wiped a spill with a rag. "Not on Ladies' Night anyways."

"She isn't exactly picky. She wouldn't wait for Ladies' Night." I slid fifty dollars across the bar to her. "Here, just in case she does come in."

"Sure, hon." She smiled and reached for the money.

"Oh, a word of advice." I snatch up the money."Your girls have also been kind enough to help me so there'll be a little bit of healthy competition." I held out the bill.

The bartender, a forty something with bad blonde highlights, frowned but took the money all the same. "Anything else? How about a drink for once instead of warming a seat?"

"Thanks, but I have more people to see."

With that cliched line from any action movie villain, I strode out of New York Dolls on Murray Street in Tribeca. It was, to me, your run of the mill of strip clubs although it was one of the higher end establishments. The carpet was black with strange red, white, and tan swirls which seem to stand out for the soul purpose of standing out and the bar was as standard as bars came though I caught the odd complaint of their more than standard prices.

There were about twelve small round table with a pair of black wood chairs. All were facing the stage on the far side of the bar and all were filled with ninety percent men. Some were occupied by the Dolls as they flirted with the men and danced for them. Those not occupied by a girl at their table had tier attention directed at the stage were four gorgeous women, two blondes and two brunettes, perform what I could best describe as a lesbian tease act to some generic pop beat.

I placed a hat on my head as I left the club and went outside.

It had begun to snow again and judging by the crowds on the streets, it was nothing serious. In fact, most of December had been uneventful as the weather was concerned, but it seemed January wished to make up for it. It had snowed at least one day out of the week, but never more than enough to dampen the streets and create pockets of ice when the temperature dropped significantly at night.

It also seemed that the humans of New York, with the final two weeks of the year dedicated to celebration, were still in a festive mood. In the past I had wanted to be in Time's Square when New York rang in the new year, but it just seemed like a bitter reminder of my solitude. Not to mention pointless in a way. There was always next year after all as well as the one after — and the one after that, and the one after that, and the one after that — countless opportunities awaited me in the years to come so there was little point in dwelling on it.

"Spare change?" I heard a rough voice ask. "Just fer a cup o' joe."

I turned, once the traffic light on the corner turned red and all the cars ceased moving and honking their horns, to see a homeless man sitting on the floor with his hand held out. As expected, his hair was a black and white tangled mess and matched his salt and pepper unshaven face. His clothes were very dirty and worn and judging by his shivering, they were not doing much in the way of keeping him warm.

I quickly and carefully picked my way through the cars, doing my best to ignore the stench of exhaust, and reached the other side just as the traffic light switched to green and the cars sped out like those at a race. I looked around to see if anyone was observing as I walked to the man.

"Spare change?" he asked with hand out to me. "Just fer something warm."

"Sure." I knelt on a knee and reached into a pocket. "Here."

"Thank you." He said gratefully as I deposited a hefty sixty-five cents in his palm. "Thank you so much."

"What is your name?" I asked gently.

"Hector." He said. "Hector Martins."

"I'd like to offer you a job, Hector." I reached into my coat. "Do you see that club across the street behind me?"

"Club?" He leaned to the side to see. "You mean Dolls?"

"Yes." I nodded. "You see I'm looking for someone, but I can't be everywhere."

"You want me to watch who goes in and out?" He asked.

"Yes, but only at night. You can do and go wherever you want during the day, but at night I want you to come here and do just that." I took his hand and pressed a twenty dollar bill into it. "I want you to buy one of those disposable cameras and take a picture when a girl with red hair walks by you and either enter or leaves the club." I took out a hundred and held it up before I also pressed it into hand. "Use this to buy yourself some warm clothes and something to eat. Every two weeks, at eight o'clock in the evening, I'll meet you here and I want you to give me the camera. I'll give you the money to buy another one and fifty dollars."

"Fifty dollars?" He gasped.

"Yes." I smiled gently. "Every two weeks. Do we have a deal?"

"You bet." He gave me disgusting, but eager, smile.

"We'll meet again two weeks from tomorrow night." I looked into his eyes and said smoothly. "Tell no one and do not draw attention."

"Sure." He said lazily as my glamor took effect. "No one ever looks my way."

I stood and began walking down Murray Street, blending into the sea of people that was city's population.

The next couple of hours was simply a dull repetition of I had done at Dolls. I'd enter one of many of Manhattan's strip clubs, pretend to drift from dancer to dancer as I discreetly asked them to keep an eye out for Her, repeat the same conversation with the night bartender, and finally ask a homeless person to watch the club and street for me.

I spent the last two weeks of December moping around the apartment, alone except for an overprotective mother who hissed and growled whenever I came within a few feet of her, feeding only when hunger proved too much of a strain to ignore and I ordered 'take-out'. I wasn't sure what or when I felt the compulsion, but it came nevertheless.

I had to find Her.

It just so happen she had left me with the perfect means of doing so. I knew that sooner or later, she would return to the city. I knew it might not be for sometime, but she had living in the city since it was considered a town. There was a reason she had stayed so long and I severely doubted it would be me that prevented her from returning. She might set a nest somewhere else in the other boroughs, but Manhattan was where most of the night life was.

She had told me out kind tends to favor establishments like Dolls and such so it was fair too assume she would visit one. If she did, one of the homeless network, would take her photograph and I could track her down from there. Even if she killed my sentries, she might as well have announced her arrival with a fanfare of trumpets on an elephant because I knew exactly who was watching each club and if he did not show I would she was in the general area. The only way to silence them would be to kill them, but to kill every dancer, every bartender, and every homeless and then arrange it so their deaths appeared natural would be a daunting and difficult task for any vampire, even one as old her. Plus, it would just bring attention to herself.

As to why I did not simply glamor all of exotic dancers and homeless in Manhattan, it was simple. True it would be less expensive if I did just that, but a vampire's glamor had its limits. I believed humans tended to produce results better if they were motivated to do so and their minds were free to use some creativity if the situation demanded it. There was also the fact that under my glamor they would only call if She happened to cross their paths, but motivated by financial gain would have them on alert and seeking Her out.

I returned to the apartment, both content and vexed at having most of Lower Manhattan covered. I was certain that another week and I would have all of it. Of course that meant I still had Midtown, including the Upper East and West sides, all the way to Upper Manhattan which could very well take months. Possibly longer as summer approached and came longer days and shorter nights. I shrugged at the thought. It wasn't as if I had anything better to occupy my time and if there one thing I had more than money right now, it was time.

I took off my coat, the one Barnabé made for me, and tossed it onto the couch. I looked around for my self announced nestmate and saw no sign of her or her litter. Then I heard something clatter to floor. I whipped to see the cat in the door of a cupboard nudging a small pile of cans to the floor.

I sighed and walked around to the kitchen.

It seemed that, judging by the amount of dented cans and boxes of rice and pasta, mother dearest had been at it for quite some time. I surmised she had grown tired of waiting for me to return and had taken upon herself to find food. I looked down at the food, mostly cans of tuna and corn, and looked up at her.

"I'm curious." I asked. "If they didn't break the second time, what made you think they'd break the fifteenth?"

She hissed and knocked another can to the floor.

"Alright, I get it." I walked to her with my arms held up. "Just come down."

She hissed again, this time swatting at my hands as she backed into the cupboard.

Honestly, I wasn't surprised by her reaction even after nearly a month. Most animals don't like vampires, I guess we smell strange them. Dogs, and anything closely related to them, despise us on a whole, but cats are unpredictable. I've seen strays walk by me without so much as a glance in my direction, some have even strode up to me and rubbed against my ankles. It seemed that reaction depended on the cat itself, and this one opted for tolerance as long as I fed her and her litter as well as kept my distance.

I picked up all of the cans and boxes and placed them on the counter. While I cleaned up her mess, she hopped down to the floor and looked up to me with I swear was an impatient expression. I opened a can of tuna and set it down. I watched as she opened the cupboard door under the sink and began taking out her litter. She would picked them by the nape of their necks and depositing them in front of can, nudging each forward when it turned away.

I couldn't help notice, not for first time, how none of kittens resembled each other. One was as white as pure snow while another was covered in patches of orange and white. Two seemed to resemble tigers with their coat. black stripes against dark gray. Only one seemed to taker after the mother with a pure black coat and seemed to be the largest of litter.

When her brood were busy eating, she looked up at with that same look of vexed impatience.

"What now?" I demanded.

She looked to the cans to my left.

"Really?"

More staring.

"Real tough until you need someone to open a can." I laid it in front of her. "Then its all sweet pleading eyes."

I watched as she wordlessly began to eat. I stood and turned, intending to get some work done, when I heard a slight high pitched squeak.

I saw as the smallest of litter, about half the size of its siblings, crying out as it tried to climb out from under the sink. I found its coat oddly curious. It reminded me of suit jacket left unbuttoned. Its coat had the same shade of black as the mother, but with white paws like gloves and shoes. It also had a patch of white under its throat that connected to its white underbelly.

I watched curiously as it slowly made its way to where the rest of litter were occupied eating. The newcomer tried several times to make room for itself, but to no avail. It was simply too small to move its much larger and stronger siblings. Those same siblings continued unhindered until finally moving aside, but only after they had left the can spotlessly clean. The little one began searching for whatever they other had left, but they hadn't left thing. I was sure of that when it knocked over the can and not even a drop of the water the food was packed in was left.

I continued observing it as it caught sight of the mother and made its way to her. It rubbed against the mother, squeaking affectionately, and went to eat. Then, to my surprise, the mother hissed and struck the kitten. She did not break skin since she did not use her claws, but it was enough to knock the kitten aside. The mother resumed eating and when her child approached again, she struck again. After the second attempt, the kitten tried a slower approach and was met with warning growls.

I observed the kitten lick its chops as stared at the mother, eating as if the kitten did not exist even as it cried out to her.

"Some mother you are." I opened another can and placed it front of the kitten. "Here, now shut up."

I left once the kitten began eating, scaring away its siblings as they tried to take it for themselves, and walked to my second project.

Regina had mentioned her room and Doyle's were originally the master bedroom and suggested I could convert it into a private library, so I decided to do just that. I took whatever furniture, two beds and a few nightstands, they had left behind and store them in Adrian's room until I got around disposing them.

After finding a hardware store that was open after dark and explaining what I required, the rest was simple. First I knocked down the wall that separated Regina's room from Doyle's. I found that I had grown tired of white walls and painted them a dark deep crimson, but opted to paint the floor moldings a tanish beige to match the ceiling. I had also purchased lush emerald green carpeting which was relatively simple to lay down once I completed painting the room to my liking. Since I only worked for only an hour or two at a night, most of took the entire month of December to complete.

While I worked, finding it an excellent way to occupy my mind, I had ordered large bookshelves. They were specialty handmade from a rare African wood called pink ivory. The owner said the lumber had to be shipped before he could build the shelves I wanted. They were the unique type that require specific measurements of the room and had to mounted to the wall before being assembled piece by piece and once completed appeared as if they were built into the wall instead of being mere mounted

With only an hour or two to work it was taking longer than it should have, but it gave me ample time to select a desk that pleased me as well matched the color of the shelves and one of hollowed globes. I was not sure what I would stock it with, but I could address that problem when the rest of room was completed.

I had just finished mounting the entire far wall with the back panels of shelves, I still had to attach the decorative molding and the shelves themselves, when I began feel tired. As if I could be mistaken, my watch began to beep rapidly which gave me my second warning that dawn was fast approaching.

I set aside the hammer next to a small tool box I purchased to install the bookcases and any other project I might undertake. I left the rest of bookcase piece where they lay in the corner of the room and closed the door behind so curious felines wandered in and were crushed if something fell, leaving me with mess I had no desire to clean. As I crossed the small hallway to my room, I saw that the litter were curled against the mother as she layed on the couch. I also saw that the smallest one, the same who the mother did not think worthy to share her food, was being pushed aside by the rest of litter.

I closed the door to my room and undressed, tossing my clothes absentmindedly in the corner before I laid in my bed. In a way, I welcomed this part of the night. It was becoming more and more difficult to keep my mind from dwelling on less than pleasant things with each passing night. I was no stranger to losing a night's sleep when I was alive when I racked my mind to how my father and I would make ends meet. So much so that I made sure to keep some sleep aids hidden in dresser. At least now my body took my mind out of the equation and gave some peace, if only for a few hours.

I awoke to the sound of knocking.

I leapt to my feet and was ready for an attack, my hands curling to claws and hissing as my fangs ran out. I looked around to see no one in the pitch black room and that I was not under attack. I relaxed, but I picked up my cane in case I should I need it.

Was it possible I dreamed the noise? No. I recalled asking Her if it was possible to dream as vampire and she said it was impossible. A live human brain is always active, but a vampire's is not. Once dawn came, a vampire was dead both in body and mind.

Then I heard the knocking again, but with unfamiliar voice. "Hello? Is anyone home?"

Someone was knocking on the front door.

I dressed quickly and considered whom it might be. I was doubtful it was Her. She would have first tried her key only to find I had changed the lock and added one to my room. Then She would have grown tired of waiting and forced her way in as she did not need an invitation, doing the same with the door to my room. If it was truly Her, I would have awoken to her in my bed, smirking. She had always had a taste for the dramatic and flair.

I answered the door and I saw I was correct. The young woman wearing a shirt and jeans had fair skin, light brown eyes, and short, slick dark brown hair. I looked behind her to see a door partially ajar and, combined with her bare feet and how old her shirt seemed to be, guessed she lived across the hall.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, but I heard a cat scratching and yowling earlier." She said. "Is it alright?"

"Are you sure it was a cat?"

"I'm a vet." She held out a hand. "Dr. Sarah Benz by the way."

"A vet?"

"Yes." She nodded. "I couldn't help hearing when I left for work this morning." She looked down and smiled warmly. "Hello there."

I looked to see the mother at my feet sniffing Sarah's pant leg, her litter carefully behind her.

"What's her name?" She went to pet her.

"I wouldn't." I warned. "She doesn't — "

I cocked my head as I heard the cat begin to purr and rub against the doctor's hand affectionately.

"Doesn't what?" she looked to me.

"She normally hisses and growls when I get close." I motioned to the kitten watching with curiosity. "To her and them."

"I can't imagine why." She narrowed her eyes. "Unless she doesn't know you."

"She doesn't." I said flatly. "I came home to find her giving birth on my couch because I left a window open. That was last month and she wouldn't leave."

"She wouldn't until she thought she could leave the kitten alone for a bit." She bent down to scratch behind the cat's ears. "What have you been feeding them?"

"The same thing she eats." I said. "Tuna."

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"Do you plan on keeping her or any of the kittens?" She asked.

"Why do you ask?"

"No offense, but you have no idea what you're doing." She motioned to the kittens. "If you want, I could take her and her kitten to shelter to find them a home."

"Be my guest." I shrugged. "She seems to have taken a liking to you."

She left to retrieve a large cat carrier from her home and effortlessly coaxed the cat and her kittens into it with warm towel to lay on. All went well until Sarah put the last kitten, the very same one the mother seem to dislike, along with the rest of them. The mother began to hiss and growl.

"What's wrong with her?" She bent to look. "She was fine a second ago."

"Its the small one." I said. "She seems to go out of her way to ignore it."

"The small one?" She looked again. "You mean that black and white one that half the size of the rest of them."

"I thought so." She opened the carrier and picked it up. "She doesn't want this one. He's literally the runt of the litter. Doesn't think it's the worth the effort to take care of."

"So she left it to take care of itself?" I asked.

"Kinda." She looked at it. "Even healthy ones can sometimes die. Kittens are really delicate." She looked to me. "You sure you don't want one?"

I stared the one in her hands, small and weaker than the rest and abandoned. I'm not sure why I hesitated. It was a pointless endeavor. I would care for it and feed it, no doubt growing attached to the creature over time, then it would reach its limit and die while I continued. That was provided it survived the near future.

"I'll take him." I said finally.

"Alright. I'll take them to work tomorrow and give them a check up." She held it up and looked under. "Her too. If she's fine then you can have her."

"Alright." I asked. "Anything else?"

"I'm gonna need a name." She said. "For the paperwork"

"Dominick Valentino." I said. "You have my address I assume?"

"Yes. And her?" She held up the kitten. "I need her name."

"Hmm." I studied the creature for a moment. "Tux"

"Tux?" She asked.

"Short for Tuxedo." I explained. "She looks like she's wearing a fancy suit, like a Tuxedo."

"Tux it is." She smiled at me. "Nice to meet you."

The next couple of weeks were uneventful. I continued setting up sentries at various clubs as well as meeting the others. Midtown seemed to have them almost every other store with only take out restaurants and liquor stores separating them. I did pop into the occasional pawn shop and purchase the odd item, like a worn violin or old jazz and swing records. I even completed a large portion of my library.

Sarah informed me that Tux was in fine shape all things considered. I had unknowing misfed her. Normally the mother was supposed to nurse her litter for several weeks, but she had ignored Tux for the rest. The cans of tuna were fine, but whatever nutrition she did not receive from solid food she was meant to receive from the mother. Sarah supplied her with a replacement formula in the time she stayed under her care and supplied me with much information on how to care for her. It mostly consisted of the avoidance of using packaged kibble food.

I oddly found it enjoyable to have Tux in my company. She was honestly simple. There was nothing she kept hidden from me and I doubt she even had the capacity for ulterior motives. If she wanted attention or to be played with, she made it clear. She might leap into my lap as I tried to read or lightly nip my hand when she was hungry. Never before did I have a companion who will never betray me or share my secrets to another soul or work so hard to please. As long as I fed her and showed her some attention, she was content and so was I.

That would be exactly how I would have spent the next decade, simply looking for little projects to kill my infinite supply of time, and I did.

At least until the middle of February, Saint Valentine's day to be exact.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .**

**Dominick will return in **

**The Mighty Manhattan : Book Two : The Name of the Ductar**


End file.
